In October, I agreed to assume a part-time (50 percent) position as the Program Leader for Alternative and Renewable Energy in the college. This is an area where our college has considerable expertise and there is significant interest by our clientele in seeking some science-based answers to complex questions. Also, there seems to be considerable need for programming in this area in the future, with the continuing projected increased in crude oil prices and the impending deregulation of electricity in our state.

I see my role as coordinating our efforts in this important area, coordinating faculty and extension educator efforts to develop educational programs, demonstrations, in-service training activities and helping to develop some funding opportunities for research and education in this area. I also expect to be playing a key role to develop productive relationships with many of our partners at the local, state and federal level in the renewable energy arena, including our counterparts at other Land Grant Universities. Also, we have many collaborators within the university that we will be partnering with, including the Biomass Energy Center, the Energy Institute, and the Center for Sustainability. 

Energy is a crucial resource that affects every dimension of our lives and our agricultural systems, so there is a great opportunity for us in extension to work with both rural and urban audiences to understand the issues and develop strategies to cope with impending changes that will be necessary in the future. Pennsylvania has a long history of being an energy producing and agricultural state in close proximity to many key markets in the northeastern United Staes. Also, we have a large rural population with resources and a desire to participate in distributed energy production. Our challenge is to help our clientele use and develop appropriate technologies in a sustainable fashion.

Already, I have been impressed with how our faculty and educators have been responding to energy-related issues in different regions and disciplines. Our educators are working on demonstrations of new technologies like wind and methane digestion systems, helping to evaluate new crops for biofuels, and participating in community discussions on biofuel development projects. Some educators are beginning to incorporate energy-related topics in youth and 4-H projects. Our faculty are involved in numerous projects including energy efficiency strategies, evaluating energy alternatives, utilizing animal and plastic waste for energy, assessing potential biofuel feedstock resources, and developing strategies for utilizing biofuel production co-products in animal rations. I look forward to many more collaborative projects like these developing in the college.

I still plan to remain active in my role in grain crop management, and some of my activities will overlap with responsibilities in my new assignment. As part of this new assignment, Del Voight, an extension educator from Lebanon County, will be partially reassigned to work with me on grain crop management issues on a statewide basis. Del has worked extensively with me in the past on grain crop production issues and will be a great asset in bringing his expertise to work with me on crop management extension work.

Greg Roth