4 minutes with… John Marano, President, JM Energy Consulting

Tell us about your company and it’s role in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

I am an independent consultant specializing in technology assessment and R&D planning through scale-up. My clients include DOE, EPA and National Labs. I also provide due diligence for private clients and technology seminars for research scientists, engineers and managers interested in learning more about petro and alt fuels and chemicals.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

For the last several years, I have been working in carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) evaluating CO2 utilization options for the DOE. I am a cheerleader for this cause! Government efforts on climate change have hit a road block when we need to get started right now. Utilization is a bridge to a low-carbon future. Given a choice, consumers would rather buy low-carbon products than pay a carbon tax. Markets and technologies to produce value-added products need to be developed. I plan to continue pushing forward on this issue.

I am also a fuels junkie, so I will continue working in the alt fuels arena. I am currently evaluating algae and other advanced biofuels technologies for cost and performance. Note, algae feed on CO2–the best of both worlds!

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?  

Both alt fuels and CCUS are in the crosshairs of the fossil fuels industry, in particular the American Petroleum Institute. Inside this industry there are voices for change, but they are being drowned out.

We need to do a better job of publicizing our successes and bridging the divide between the two industries.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change? 

I don’t like to second guess, but: In the area of CCUS, which was originally only CCS, we probably should have emphasized utilization more in the beginning. We might be farther along the deployment path by now if we had. In the biofuels area, drop-in replacements trump totally new fuels–no blend wall issue.

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?  

I started my career in the petroleum industry and I’m proud of it. But, things have changed–climate change is a reality. I see the advanced bioeconomy as part of the solution and I wanted to be part of it.

Where are you from? 

I was born south of Pittsburgh, PA. My father was from Fairchance–what a great name for a town! I grew up in Cleveland, OH and my wife Susan is from there. We were both Cleveland Browns fans but converted to the Steelers when we moved to Pittsburgh in the 1990s.

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway?

I have a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from the Univ. of Toledo. My whole family was school teachers, so I didn’t really have a clue about other professions. My future wife worked for the Grad Student Assoc. Her boss was a ChE–they twisted my arm. When we moved to Pittsburgh, I went back and got a PhD in ChE from the Univ. of Pittsburgh.

Who do you consider your mentors – could be personal, business, or just people you have read about and admire. What have you learned from them?

Consultants can be loners, so I don’t feel I had true mentors. But, there are a number of people I admire very much and have influenced me personally:

Gerry Holder – My adviser at Pitt; how to analyze and solve non-technical “people” problems

Barry McNutt – DOE Policy Office (deceased); to question the “common wisdom” and not go along with the flow, to look past the present to where we want to get to

Jim Lane – I read him every day. I hope he’s not a bad influence?

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?  

Things are never as bad as they seem and don’t convince yourself that the worst outcome will occur. It almost never does. Don’t jump to conclusions, gather and analyze the facts, make your best judgment, act ethically, and proceed. There really are no other viable options, so relax.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry?  

Hiking, cross-country skiing, gardening and travel

What are 3 books you’d want to have with you, if you were stranded on a desert island

I’m into audio learning, so I am going to assume the island has electricity (solar panels).

From The Great Courses Series:

#1 – The Origin and Evolution of Earth: From the Big Bang to the Future of Human Existence by Robert Hazen

#2 – A New History of Life by Stuart Sutherland

#3 ” Human Prehistory and the First Civilizations by Brian Fagan

What books or articles are on your reading list right now, or you just completed and really enjoyed?  

I think reading is the only way to stay up to date and informed. So, I read anything I can find on the areas I work in–not just technical stuff but also how they relate to politics, economy, environment, international, etc.

I recently completed Empires of Light, Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and The Race to Electrify The World by Jill Jonnes.

What’s your favorite city or place to visit, for a holiday?  

Canadian Rockies