While gas prices are at all time highs and the country continues to go “green” over concerns for the environment, Georgia is making great strides in developing commercially viable alternative energy and fuel. Leading the way is the new Energy Innovation Center’s administrative team, Jill Stuckey and David Dunagan.

Jill, EIC Director, and David, Renewable Energy Program Manager, are both keenly aware of the state’s future energy needs and know exactly what Governor Perdue expects. “The governor wants a complete circle when it comes to energy development and production in Georgia,” said Stuckey. “Our goal is to grow, produce and utilize our own energy.”

While challenges exist, both have a growing excitement in being a part of Georgia’s bioenergy revolution.

As director, Stuckey brings with her over 16 years of energy sector experience with the state. She is also the currently director of alternative fuels for the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority; in this role she has saves the state well over 100 million dollars in environmental remediation and capital costs.. She started her career at Triangle Inc. where she became part owner and built one of the largest fuel maintenance companies in the state.

“Initially, I took a job with Triangle on a temporary basis,” commented Stuckey. “I then ended up as a part owner and was lured away seven years later to work for the state .”

Years later those jobs are serving as the foundation for her newest endeavor as the director of the EIC. These days Stuckey is busy crisscrossing the state helping clients, attending energy conferences or entertaining foreign business representatives interested in Georgia.

According to Stuckey, more and more bioenergy businesses are interested in Georgia because of its abundance of economical feedstocks, particularly the pine trees. In fact, Range Fuels, a company that Stuckey helped recruit, is building the nation’s first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Soperton in part because of Georgia’s pines.

“I slept with my Trio while we were trying to bring Range to Georgia,” stated Stuckey. “They were looking at other states, but we tried extremely hard to meet their every need.” It must have worked; Range will begin production of 20 million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol some time next year.

Stuckey said she loves coming to work and seeing the difference she can make. “I can go to Soperton and see the people that have new jobs because of the Range Fuels operation – that is wonderful,” she said. When she speaks, her passion for her work is obvious. “There are just so many good reasons to be involved in alternative energy – a cleaner environment, energy security and economic development, just to name a few,” Stuckey commented.

As far as passion for a job is concerned, David Dunagan has been passionate about conservation since he was a teenager. “I can remember innovative science teachers using solar energy to boil water and burning wood to utilize the gas,” said Dunagan. “I was hooked then. Alternative energy practices are something I believe in and have studied for a long time.”

Dunagan started his career with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. While working on his Master’s of Science in Public Policy with an environmental concentration from Georgia Tech, he interned with the Department of Energy (DOE) in 1997.

Two years after the internship, he accepted a job as project officer for the Transportation and Biomass Programs for the Southeast Regional Office of DOE. Dunagan managed the Clean Cities alternative fuel program for a nine state region for DOE for six years until the office closed in 2006 due to agency reorganization.

He is very pleased and excited to be with the EIC. “I felt I was in my stride at DOE,” commented Dunagan. “I now have the opportunity to finish that work at the EIC.” This lifelong conservationist hit the ground running trying to coordinate efforts for a Southeast bioenergy corridor. ###