Daniel Simon, a partner in Ballard Spahr's Energy and Project Finance Group, provided a historical overview of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program during the 2011 International Biomass Conference & Expo in St. Louis. Mr. Simon said there is some question as to whether Congress will continue to fund the program in fiscal 2012 and beyond. He said the USDA seems to strongly support this program but it has had "a very tortured history."