JUNE | NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2021 | A NOTE FROM JEREMY MORTL

Hot Biomass Summer
Summer in the Midwest seems to always go by too fast. Summer schedules fill up fast with weekend getaways to enjoy the warm weather. It is difficult to think about the need for heat while enjoying the warm weather, but the Midwest heating season is only a few short months away.  

It is a good time to investigate how you can save money on your heating costs for your home or business while supporting your local economy.  

Residential consumers can claim a 26% tax credit for the full purchase and installation cost of a high-efficiency wood heating appliance this year.  This is part of section 25(D) of the IRS tax code which now includes residential biomass heaters.  


Biomass After Quarantine
After over a year of quarantine, most communities and businesses are now opened back up with limited or no restrictions. Lumber prices are starting to come down after historically high prices seen earlier in the year. 

The surge in lumber demand caused mills to ramp up production which has created additional sawmill residues.  These residues – which typically include sawdust, shavings, bark, and chips – can be suitable for burning in a biomass heating appliance.  

Local markets for these types of material vary by region and local demand but are usually readily available. A good source for buying and selling these residues is the Midwest Biomass Exchange (mbioex.com). 

If you are looking for information on biomass heating for a home or business, there are a lot of resources available on the Heating the Midwest website: heatingthemidwest.org.  

If you are looking to get more involved with the Heating the Midwest organization, please reach out to any of our HTM Steering Committee members.   


AUTHOR:
Jeremy Mortl
Messersmith Manufacturing
President of HTM, Executive Steering Committee Member

UPCOMING EVENTS
  • Sept 20-22: WPAC Conference
LOCAL BIOMASS
  • Biomass For Sale
  • Biomass Wanted
CURRENT EVENTS
  • New Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Senate
  • Wood Pellets and Chips Reduce GHG Emissions
JUNE SPOTLIGHT RESOURCES
  • Wood & Wood Waste Explained
  • Sustainable Forestry (downloadable infographic)

HTM STEERING COMMITTEE
  • Jeremy Mortl* - President
  • Sabina Dhungana* - Vice President
  • T.J. Morice* - Secretary/Treasurer
  • Brian Brashaw* - Liaison to the Steering Committee
  • Stacy Cook*
  • Bruno Zagar
  • David Neumann
  • Joseph Donnell
  • Becky Philipp
  • Tim Portz - National Rep
  • Ben Rose
  • Adam Sherman - National Rep
* Executive Members
BROUGHT TO YOU BY HEATING THE MIDWEST
(VIRTUAL EVENT)
Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) Conference
Sept 20-22, 2021

This year, together with their media partner, Canadian Biomass Magazine, WPAC has put together a condensed program to take place in short bursts over three days from September 20 to 22, 2021. 
The live conference will take place over three hours on September 20; the AGM – open to all WPAC members – will be on September 21 for one and a half hours; and there will be a board meeting for one and a half hours on September 22. In addition, we have loads of pre-recorded presentations available for conference registrants.

Contact WPAC to register
LOCAL BIOMASS
Photo Source: Canva
Local Biomass Market
CURRENT EVENTS
Photo Source: Canva
Wood Pellets and Chips Reduce GHG Emissions by 65-100%, New Analysis Finds
The project steering committee for this report included three HTM steering committee members – Jeremy Mortl, Sabina Dhungana, and Becky Philipp.

June 15, 2021 – WASHINGTON – The Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) and Life Cycle Associates today announced the release of the “Life Cycle Analysis of Renewable Fuel Standard Implementation for Thermal Pathways for Wood Pellets and Chips” study. The Study found that biomass fuels, in the form of wood pellets and chips, result in a 65 to over 100% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in comparison to heating oil, which exceeds the targeted 60% GHG reduction requirement for cellulosic biofuels replacing heating oil under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard Program (RFS).

The study was conducted under a grant issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
New Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Senate
Legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of senators on June 24 aims to make it easier to develop sustainable wood products and energy from biomass made from small-diameter timber left over from forest thinning projects, including projects that reduce the risk of wildfire.
JUNE SPOTLIGHT RESOURCES
Photo Source: Canva
Wood & Wood Waste Explained
People have used wood for cooking, heating, and lighting for thousands of years. Wood was the main source of energy for the United States and the rest of the world until the mid-1800s. Wood continues to be an important fuel in many countries, especially for cooking and heating in developing countries. In 2020, about 2.3% of total U.S. annual energy consumption was from wood and wood waste—bark, sawdust, wood chips, wood scrap, and paper mill residues.
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