PFI Plans Board Meeting, Hill Visits and Association Roundtable for End of Month
The Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) will host its fall board meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 29th and 30th. The two-day event begins with a board meeting on Tuesday, October 29th and then moves into a series of conversations with allied associations in the wood heat, wood products and forestry sectors. Also planned for Tuesday is a working lunch between members of the PFI board and leadership and board members from the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC).
“Our organizations have so many aligned policy objectives,” said Tim Portz, executive director of the PFI. “A working lunch is a great opportunity to lay out the strategic policy initiatives we share and talk about ways to work in concert to achieve them.”
The working lunch will be followed by a series of conversations with other aligned associations including the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, U.S. Small Business Administration, National Alliance of Forest Owners, Alliance for Green Heat, National Wood Pallet and Container Association, the U.S. Forest Service and the Hardwood Federation.
“The reality is that all of us are connected by the wood resource we rely upon, so it only makes sense to engage these affiliated organizations and work in a concerted fashion where there is clear mutual interest,” said Portz. “When inviting everyone to participate I was struck by how many of the same themes emerged from our conversations. Trade, labor, shipping and public perception were mentioned by nearly everyone as issues that attracted their attention and resources.”
On Wednesday, October 30th board members and members of the PFI will visit their elected representatives on Capitol Hill to educate Congress on the industry and the ways that federal policy impacts the sector.
“There are certainly pieces of legislation in play that we’ll ask for support on including the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act, but it is as vital for us to educate our elected representatives about renewable wood heating and how vital it is to the broader forest products industry,” said Portz.
More information about regarding the agenda can be found on the PFI website.
About the Pellet Fuels Institute
The Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) is a trade association representing the manufacturers of wood pellets in the United States and the companies and organizations that support them. The PFI is dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of using wood pellets to heat homes, businesses and institutions and ensuring that consistent, high-quality product is readily available in the marketplace.