PFI's Weekly Newsletter

 

 

October 6, 2017

In this Week's Pellet Wire:


Bioenergy Day 2017 is Coming Up! 

Thank you to all who have registered to host an event for the 5th Annual Bioenergy Day on October 18! We're on track for record participation levels this year. If you are hosting an event, please check the Bioenergy Day website to ensure that we have listed your information accurately. There's a final planning call scheduled for next Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 1pm Eastern / 10am Pacific, on the conference line 207-805-8183 (no code). 

This year, we are especially 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. 

Contact Carrie Annand with any questions on Bioenergy Day 2017 or to register your organization's event. If you are interested in hosting and elected official, Carrie can also help identify and invite one near you.   


Government Affairs Update - Federal Forest Management Reform

This week, the House Agriculture Committee marked up and reported out meaningful legislation that would address the wildfire funding crisis which is hamstringing the Forest Service and give the Service more tools to execute on critical federal forest thinning and other forest management project work. The bill, H.R. 2936-The Resilient Federal Forests Act-would allow the President to declare wildfires a "disaster" and allow these fires to be fought with emergency funding instead of forcing the Forest Service Chief to borrow funds from other critical mission areas within the Forest Service budget. Equally important, the bill would give the Forest Service new authority to move quickly on forest management projects to improve forest health so that wildfires are less likely.   

During the markup, a manager's amendment was approved that also adds a new twist to the bill. The amendment incorporates provisions of the Timber Innovation Act, legislation that would promote research and development into using wood in tall buildings. The focus is cross-laminated timber, which is growing in popularity among architects because of its strength, fire resistance and carbon sequestering properties.  

H.R. 2936 will pass the House later this fall, but its path forward in the Senate is less certain. A number of Senate Democrats oppose the bill's expedited permitting provisions for forest management projects, but also acknowledge that wildfires on our nation's forests are becoming a national crisis as the West burns. We realize this legislation does not address renewable energy, but some of our members source fiber off of the national forests and we are supporting Congressional efforts to improve the way the Forest Service manages our federal forest landholdings.   


Featured Pellet Facility: Fiber By-Products in White Pigeon, MI

Thanks to Cory Schrock of Fiber By-Products for sending us photos of Fiber By-Products' pellet production! 

 

We want to see photos of what's happening with the pellet fuels industry in your neck of the woods. Send us photos with captions - facilities, retailers, production, appliances, happy customers! We'll run the photos in a future edition of Pellet Wire. 


New Bioenergy Day Video - Northwest Montana

The 2017 Bioenergy Day video has been released! Produced in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, the video showcases how bioenergy supports the economy and promotes good forest management practices in Northwest Montana. 

Please see below for more information on how you can be a part of Bioenergy Day 2017. 


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.

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

October 12-13, 2017: Biomass & Bioenergy Summit

October 18, 2017: Bioenergy Day

March 8, 2018: HPB Expo

March 9, 2018: 2018 PFI Breakfast & Biomass

April 16, 2018: International BiomassConference & Expo

May 1, 2018: Heating the Midwest

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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

Pellet Stoves Becoming a More Popular and Affordable Heating Option      
WWLP Massachusetts

Pellets and Oil are the top two heating options in Franklin County.

According to the Department of Energy Resources, wood pellets are averaging $260 per ton; $15 less than last year. Despite the lower price, oil and natural gas are still cheaper over the course of the heating season.

"It's cheaper, the pellets are too high and then you have to get a pellet stove," said Brian Witherspoon of Greenfield. "People can't afford it."

Read Full Article


Controversy Simmers Over NC Wood Pellet Plant 
WUNC

A biomass fuel plant that processes tree scraps into wood pellets has some North Carolinians concerned about its potential environmental and health impacts.

Maryland-based Enviva will soon open its fourth wood pellet plant in the southern part of the state. The new plant will be just outside the small town of Dobbins Heights, where roughly 85 percent of residents are African American and the median household income is $21,000.

Read Full Article


NRRI Roasting Wood to Replace Coal   
Duluth News Tribune

 It seems like much of the world is plunging headlong toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels and the carbon dioxide pollution they create.

Ontario has eliminated coal-burning power plants. China is phasing out internal combustion engines for new cars, as are General Motors and Ford. On Wednesday the International Energy Agency reported solar energy was the fastest-growing source of new electric power in 2016, the first year solar surpassed all other new energy sources, even coal.

Read Full Article 


P&G, Constellation Complete 50MW Biomass CHP Plant  
Biomass Magazine
The Procter & Gamble Co. and Constellation,   a subsidiary of Exelon Corp. recently announced the completion of a 50-MW biomass-fueled combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plant located at one of P&G's largest U.S. facilities. Constellation owns and operates the plant, which supplies steam to P&G's Albany, Georgia, paper manufacturing facility and generates electricity for the local utility, Georgia Power. Additionally, steam from the plant will be used to power an 8.5-MW steam-to-electricity generator at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, helping the base increase its energy security and utilize renewable sources to meet energy demands.

Pellet Fuels Institute |  [email protected]   | 206.209.5277