ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES AND SERVICES OFFERED

Community Energy and its partners offer rural and tribal communities a broad range of services depending on the needs and objectives they are trying to address. A general description of the types of services Community Energy can provide are listed below.

Resource Assessment
• Summarization of existing studies and analysis for use in both community involvement and public agency, governmental or tribal consideration and decision making. This would include both assessments of potential resource availability and/or evaluation of the most ecologically sustainable management strategies based on the latest science available for specific forest types.
• Synthesis of different data sources to create one single geographic information system (GIS) data/mapping database for use in analyzing both existing ecological conditions and available forest resources.
• Production of maps or information summaries describing a wide range of forest conditions and capabilities for sustainable forest resource utilization.
• Development of interactive information management tools enabling communities/tribes to create collaborative processes for evaluating a range of potential management strategies/plans.

Community Assessment & Capacity Building
• Analysis of community capacities and constraints that effect a communities/tribes ability to effectively implement desired forest management and/or community development strategies.
• Design of community involvement and outreach programs for assisting communities/tribes in effectively engaging their communities in collaborative forestry/business/community development programs.
• Community infrastructure analysis to identify essential community infrastructure necessary for forestry and community development programs.
• Small business development training and assistance to support existing and emerging entrepreneurs in forestry and wood utilization enterprises.
• Business development assessment and design to identify the range of complimentary businesses necessary to foster successful forest-based community development.
• Wood products development and coordination to foster flexible production networks of interconnected forestry and wood products enterprises.

Energy Systems Development
• Biomass energy systems feasibility assessment--evaluation of both forestry and wood supply and economic and enterprise development issues.
• Biomass technology assessment—assisting communities/tribes in identifying the most appropriate technology for their desired objectives/uses.
• Biomass energy systems development—engineering design and project implementation management for both thermal (heat systems), and combined heat-power systems (CHP).
• Facilities development and management assistance for both construction and ongoing operations and maintenance (O/M) of biomass energy facilities.