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.

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.