Tifton agricultural researcher J.C. Bell, whose company Bell Bio-Energy Inc. plans to produce large quantities of gas through the genetic modification and cloning of bacterial organisms that can convert bio-mass into hydrocarbons, will not locate his pilot plants and production facilities in Tifton or Tift County. In the past, Bell has estimated the budget for his research facility to be at $60 million annually and the production facilities at $250 to $300 million a year. Bell has stated that he plans to be in full-scale production by October of next year.

“We are currently in negotiations with several other locations other than Tifton. All of the other locations are owned by the government and are government installations of one type or another,” Bell said.

Bell said his current plans call for Bell Bio-Energy to open four or five pilot plants on federal property. “I will be in D.C. next week,” he said. “We are to the point that we are trying to finalize the plans.”

Bell said the plans with the City of Tifton had “definitely stalled.” He added, “I’m never going to shut the door on Tifton.”

Mayor Jamie Cater told The Gazette on Wednesday, “The presentation I attended, I was very impressed with the knowledge and vision of Dr. Bell and I certainly think America should be pursuing bio-energy in this day and time with gas probably at $5 a gallon by this summer.”

Cater said he saw having Bell’s facilities in Tifton as “a win-win situation.” Cater added, “This warrants more discussion as far as I am concerned.”

Although Bell did meet with City of Tifton and Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce representatives, they were unable to reach agreement on what part, if any, local government would play in his project. Bell did not meet with any development authority representatives. Spokesmen for both the Tift County Development Authority and the Downtown Development Authority told The Gazette that Bell had not contacted them.

In recent communications with the City of Tifton, Bell proposed that the city partner with him and be his fiscal agent for large grants his company would be receiving for his research and production facilities.

Debbie Layfield, Bell’s assistant, told The Gazette that Bell had met with Cater, City Manager Mike Vollmer, City Councilman Joe Lewis, Assistant City Manager Larry Riner, City Attorney Greg Sowell, Bert Crowe, director of Tifton-Tift County recycling and interim Chamber President Jack Perry.

Perry told The Gazette on Monday that he was at a meeting and heard Bell’s presentation on his energy project and said that he did not present the information to anyone else. Perry indicated his presence at the meeting was the chamber’s only involvement with Bell.

Vice Mayor Joe Lewis, who is a retired scientist, said, “Yes, we looked at his proposal and it did represent what was a noble and good vision, but we were not satisfied there was sufficient hydrocarbon data and a demonstration that the goals could be responsibly met to the point that we could represent the City of Tifton as a partner. We were concerned there were not sufficient outcomes. These are some really good goals and objectives that people are working on throughout the world.”

Lewis said, “Based on the background information presented to us, we had significant reservations about the potential success of the project and whether it would be a wise investment in the initial costs, as well as the time of employees.”

Sowell said the city’s investment would have been $50,000.

Sowell said that he has spoken with Bell’s law firm. “His attorneys are Hunton and Williams,” Sowell said. “They are a big firm with offices in Washington and Atlanta.” Sowell said he personally knew one of the attorneys: Jim Comerford.

“He (Bell) wanted us to sign a contract for the attorneys’ fees,” Sowell said. “As I recall it, it was an initial $25,000 and then another $25,000. The city stopped. We were not prepared to spend $50,000 for this project.”