December 16, 2016

In this Week's Pellet Wire:


U.S. Energy Information Administration Begins Monthly Reporting of Pellet Production Data

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) this week released its first installment of the "Monthly Denisified Biomass Fuel Report."

The monthly report will track pellet production capacity, production and sales by facility, including both utility scale and domestic use pellet producers. Many Pellet Fuels Institute members participate in the EIA survey and will contribute to the agency's data collection from 119 pellet production facilities. Facilities with an annual capacity of 10,000 tons or more each year are required to report monthly data for the study; smaller facilities report annual data.

The EIA this week released detailed data for pellet production in January
2016, and an overview of the first half of the year. The agency found that
of the 0.5 million tons sold during this time, 31% was sold to the domestic
market and the remaining 69% was sold overseas. For the first six months of 2016, 18% of pellets produced in the U.S. were sold domestically, with 82% sold abroad.

Please visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration website to view the full report.



PFI Standards Program: Reminder of Marketing Materials

As consumers and retailers focus on pellet purchases for the 2016-2017 winter season, we want to remind PFI members of the resources available to you to help you communicate about the PFI Standards Program and what it means for buyers.

One pager on the Standards Program: Our informational handout on the PFI Standards Program explains the program and its implications for pellet producers, retailers and stove manufacturers. It also lists the companies that have been qualified for the program, along with their websites.

One pager on the symbols found on pellet bags: We have created a one pager specifically explaining the various PFI logos and marks found on bags of pellets. It helps retailers distinguish the PFI Standards Program Quality Mark from other commonly used symbols. This handout is also ideal for printing off and distributing to customers or posting in a store.

Materials for members of the program: For qualified companies, we have created a marketing kit with suggested language for ensuring that customers and retailers are aware of your company's acceptance into the program and what it means. It also includes suggested language for websites.

If you are interested in receiving any of these materials, please contact Carrie Annand at [email protected]. If you are interested in joining the program, first step is to visit PFI's Standards Program web pages to identify an accredited auditing agency. The agency will help you come up with a Quality Control manual and get you on the path to joining the program.


NESTEC Opens New Service Center & After-Marketin Facility

Pennsylvania-based NESTEC, an original equipment manufacturer providing thermal oxidation and air pollution control systems for pellet producers, last week celebrated the grand opening of a new 12,000 square foot facility for aftermarket purposes. The new facility, located in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, will house new offices and ample storage space, as well as a service and repair shop.

Local elected officials and Chamber of Commerce representatives attended the grand opening ceremony, held December 8.

Please visit NESTEC's website to read more about the new facility and grand opening.


Follow and Connect With Us on Social Media!

We urge all PFI members to engage with us on social media. By joining PFI in being visible and active on social media, we can make our voices heard more loudly and by many more audiences.

Follow us on Twitter: @PelletFuel
Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pfipellets
Link with us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pellet-fuels-institute


Have News to Share on Pellet Wire?

We'd love to feature your company's news in a future Pellet Wire! We want to be the first to know your company's recent developments to share them with the wider pellet fuels industry.

Please be in touch with Carrie Annand at [email protected] with information on your company's growth, job openings, promotions or other news. 


Join a PFI Committee

We welcome and encourage all interested PFI members to get involved in our committees. There are many opportunities to help steer the association. No matter where your expertise and interests lie, we have a committee that will suit you. Help us plan our next conference, shape our policy agenda, lead communications outreach or grow the PFI Standards Program. Visit PFI's website for more information.


 


Upcoming Industry Events 

March 3, 2017: PFI Breakfast & Biomass

July 23-25, 2017: PFI Annual Conference

Connect with PFI

PFI Newsletter
PelletHeat.org
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Join PFI


Fuel Availability

Are you a PFI member pellet manufacturer or distributor that has fuel available? Email [email protected] to have your listing updated or added to the PFI website.


Industry News

Coal Burning Plant Experiments with Burning Woody Biomass
Arizona Daily Sun
A group of hardhat-clad utility officials and journalists braced themselves against a bitter December breeze on Friday as they watched a metal chute spill a stream of wood chips onto a conveyor of jet black coal.

Churning along at a rate of 1,000 tons per hour, the coal was headed up to the giant silos of Salt River Project's Coronado Generating Station. The power plant sits among rolling hills of pinyon- juniper and shrubby grasses just north of St. Johns in eastern Arizona. Its two generating units produce up to 773 megawatts of power that help feed the electricity demand of SRP's more than 1 million customers in the Valley.

Read the Full Article


102 Million Dead Trees in California are Turning Tree Cutters into Millionaires
LA Times
A low gargle echoes against granite cliffs and resounds in the wooded canyons.

Each pull of a starter handle and squeeze of a throttle is punctuated by the crack of splintering wood as another dead tree falls in a forest that's changing all too rapidly.

Niles Kant stands at the base of a red fir. Its crown, a thatch of brown needles, rises nearly 175 feet above a collection of cabins in the national forest.

Read the Full Article


UN Agency Reports Rises in Wood Production and Demand for Bioenergy
UN News Centre
According to new data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global production of wood products has been increasing for the past six years, while wood trade saw a slight decline.

"Our data registers a healthy growth in the global production of wood products and a rapid growth in production and trade of relatively new products [...] indicating that the forest industry is adapting to changes and has huge potential to become a key player in emerging bio-economies," said Mats Nordberg, FAO Senior Forestry Officer.

Read the Full Article

 

Pellet Fuels Institute |  [email protected]   | 206.209.5277