PFI's Weekly Newsletter

 

 

July 14, 2017

In this Week's Pellet Wire:



Only One Week Left till the PFI Annual Conference!  

The PFI Annual Conference is the premiere trade show and conference for the domestic pellet fuels industry. By attending, you will have key opportunities to network with your colleagues across the country, and to learn about the latest trends in pellet fuels. Get the latest updates on the PFI Standards Program and federal policy initiatives that could benefit the pellet fuels industry. Check out the finalized conference schedule here

Hotel rooms for the PFI Annual Conference in Stowe, VT, are going fast! As of this week, only 10 rooms are still available, so be sure to book as soon as possible. Book your room today! Staying at the Stowe Mountain Lodge makes attending the PFI annual conference convenient and easy. All PFI attendees receive a discounted rate of $259. Take advantage of this discount while it lasts! (NOTE: Registration for the conference does not automatically reserve a hotel room. Please make sure that you have both registered AND booked your hotel room to ensure that your accommodations are provided for.

Stowe has been a destination for world travelers for well over a century. The alpine style of the lodge reflects the beauty of the green mountains and rolling hills. Having opened in June 2008, Stowe Mountain Lodge sets a new standard of luxury and aesthetics for the East Coast's most magnificent resort. Built at the base of Stowe Mountain Resort, in the new "Vermont-Alpine" style, Stowe Mountain Lodge offers a truly luxurious setting while still paying respect to the Vermont traditions of utilizing local artisan products and embracing the tranquility of nature. 

We can't wait to see you this July in Stowe! Sign up today to secure your spot. 

In conjunction with a dynamic conference program, you can visit some of the nearby sites like the Alchemist Brewery and some of the best shopping and dining Vermont has to offer. Combined with some of the area outdoor activities such as zip lining, biking, the PFI conference is a must-attend event. Take a look at all the great things Stowe has to offer.  

We hope to see you this summer in Vermont! Please contact [email protected] with any questions. 

We thank all of our sponsors for making this event possible. 


Follow PFI on Facebook and Connect with us on LinkedIn! 

This week, PFI updated its LinkedIn page. We'd like to connect and interact with PFI members and anyone else involved in pellet fuels production! 

Here's how you can help us build our online community:

  1. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn!
  2. Encourage your colleagues and other business associates to follow us.
  3. Send Carrie Annand news or other ideas to post on LinkedIn.

Government Affairs Update: BTU Act Introduced

Discussion of tax extenders, including our pellet stove credit within Sec. 25C, has been shelved for the first half of 2017. With a new Administration highlighting comprehensive tax reform as a key agenda item and House Republican leadership echoing the same, there has been little appetite for discussing extending tax credits that have lapsed. That dynamic maybe changing, however, as progress on comprehensive tax reform proposals has stalled and indications are that there may be interest in moving a tax extenders package sometime in the 3rd or 4th quarter.  PFI will be making the rounds on Capitol Hill to ensure that there is broad support for our stove credit if and when a tax extenders push is initiated. 

A key item that we are lobbying to have added to any tax extension bill is the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2017, also known as the BTU Act, which was introduced (S. 1480 and H.R. 3161) in June. The bills are the same as last Congress, affording a 30 percent investment tax credit (of total installed cost) for purchases of high efficiency biomass heating systems at both the residential and commercial levels. Senators King (I-ME) and Collins (R-ME) are the leads in the Senate, while Representatives Welch (D-VT) and Kelly (R-PA) are the leads in the House. Rep. Kelly's leadership on this bill is significant as he sits on the influential Ways & Means Committee where all tax legislation is considered.   

The BTU Act is being supported by new groups of allies, including the wood products sector.   Flooring mills and other hard and softwood facilities are encountering an emerging crisis as piles of residuals-that had been destined for pellet mills or pulp and paper facilities-continue to grow at their manufacturing sites. That sector views this legislation as a way to stimulate demand for the domestic pellet industry, thereby increasing markets for sawdust. Both the Hardwood Federation and the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association-two organizations that have lobbyists and political action committees--are actively lobbying for enactment of the bill.   In addition to these two groups, the Biomass Power Association has also signed up to lobby for enactment of this bill. Power facilities believe that the heat they generate on site can be captured and used, thereby qualifying for the credit.  

Also the National Wildlife Federation sent a letter to every Member of Congress urging support for this bill.  NWF sees the BTU Act as a positive for rural economic development and a productive means at stimulating markets for low-grade timber.  


Bioenergy Day 2017 - Save the Date for October 18

Wednesday, October 18, marks the day for the Fifth Annual Bioenergy Day. With more than four months to go, there's plenty of time to decide how your organization will recognize the day, sharing with audiences old and new the many benefits of bioenergy. Join us for a planning call on Thursday, July 20, at 2pm EDT. Dial 207-805-8183 (no code) to join the conference. 

This year, we are highlighting the economic benefits of bioenergy. The presence of bioenergy in a community creates jobs, enhances revenue and forest products markets, and reduces waste. Our video on bioenergy, forest products and forestry in Northwestern Montana will illustrate how manufacturers convert leftover fuels into energy. 
 
There are many ways to contribute to Bioenergy Day 2017. We've uploaded our Participation Guide on the site to help you brainstorm the ways to mark Bioenergy Day, with some best practices and sample materials. You can also look around our website, www.bioenergyday.org, to see how other groups have approached Bioenergy Day. 

Contact Carrie Annand with any questions on Bioenergy Day 2017 or to register your organization's event. 


2017 PFI Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities

PFI invites you to become a 2017 sponsor! This year, we have developed a new, streamlined sponsorship program that will create multiple opportunities for your company in 2017. Your company will have great visibility at PFI events, on the PFI website, and in the PFI newsletter, amongst other benefits.

The 2017 sponsorship packages include benefits such as:

  • PFI Annual Conference registrations
  • Breakfast & Biomass registrations
  • Company logo listed on the PFI website
  • 10x10 booth at the PFI Annual Conference
  • Weekly newsletter advertising
  • Website advertising
  • And more!

PFI's membership includes over 100 member companies, and our electronic newsletter is sent to over 3,500 people every week. Now is the time to become a sponsor of this organization. Visit our website to explore how you can become involved.


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

July 23-25, 2017: PFI Annual Conference

September 19-21, 2017: 2017 International Conference on Thermochemical Conversion

June 16-21, 2018: Resources for Future Generations (RFG) 2018

Connect with PFI

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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

Ozark Mountain Wood Pellets 
Harrison Daily, Arkansas

Local entrepreneur finds niche market

Michael Erwin had an idea and a business plan that won him first place in the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce's E-Ship University. The eight-week course for entrepreneurs ends with a business plan competition.

Erwin had been mulling on the idea for at least a year before the classes. With a background in timber products, he wanted to see something productive done with the left over mulch and the sawdust.

"We have 50,000 tons a year of sawdust - a raw material that is abundant."

Read Full Article


Biomass Partnerships Provide Benefits to Local 
White Mountain Independent, Arizona

Residents of Navajo County get energy they can depend on, increased livestock forage and better hunting opportunities thanks to a partnership project that converts unwanted invasive plants into fuel for Arizona families.

The Arizona Conservation Partnership Program organizes the removal of patches of pine and juniper on federal, state, county and private lands. The project is part of an agreement among members from federal, state, county and local agencies and private landowners with the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts to spare residents from wildland fire.

The results were even better - with improved hunting and better grazing for livestock.

Heavy equipment or hand crews are used to remove unwanted plants. The most recent area to benefit from the work is the Potato Wash allotment on Bureau of Land Management public land southwest of Holbrook.

Read Full Article


It's Settled: Biomass is a Carbon-Saving Fuel 
Biomass Magazine

In May, the Biomass Power Association completed and released a yearlong study of the carbon emissions of biomass power. Working with two highly respected professors, Madhu Khanna with the University of Illinois and Puneet Dwivedi with the University of Georgia, we analyzed the carbon emissions of one 50-MW facility in New Hampshire. Because natural gas is often touted as a cleaner baseload option than coal, we compared the results of biomass carbon emissions to those of a natural gas power facility.

The results were decisive in proving the carbon benefits of biomass. In one year, the biomass-fueled power plant saved 115 percent of the carbon emissions of natural gas. Comparing the two fuel sources for 100 years, the carbon savings held steady at 98 percent, after taking into account the fuel needed to cut, chip and transport the fuel to a biomass facility.

Read Full Article 

 

Pellet Fuels Institute |  [email protected]   | 206.209.5277
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