Heard on the Floor at the DOE’s Biomass 2014 conference: US Navy, Abengoa, INEOS Bio, LanzaTech in the newsmix

Captain James C. Goudreau, Director, Navy Energy Coordination Office

Stay the course. There is always risk, always naysayers. When we moved from sail to coal, coal to oil, oil to nuclear, there were always people who said we had the wrong idea, or there was no need. Nothing more difficult more perilous than to take lead. Innovators have firm enemies among all those who did well under the old order and lukewarm support from those who hope to do well under the new order.

Gerson Santos-Leon, EVP, Abengoa

The attack on the RFS is in response to our progress. The Economics are good, the benefits are great and consumers want them.

Dan Cummings, VP Commercial & External Affairs, Americas & Asia, INEOS Bio

I shudder to think what would have happened if we had spent 2 years in line and not gotten through the [EPA] pathways. But we were fortunate, in being early, and we got through without undue delay. What works? Set up a disciplined process right away, don’t wait for DOE. Stage-gate, use an experienced team, get lots of data from the pilot, engage early with stakeholders, be transparent, and continue to educate.

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech

Complexity is free in biology. The future is in complexity, molecular diversity and flexibility. The future is distributed, and biology allows us to build at small scale. Make you organism tolerant and adaptable.