How can we leave HTM better than we found it?
"Facilities Expert leaves St. Louis County better than he found it."
That's the headline in the February 27, 2020 Duluth News Tribune, recognizing the retirement of biomass thermal advocate Tony Mancuso. Tony and his team at St. Louis County championed the installation of a biomass heating system at the Minnesota NE Regional Corrections Center, among a host of other energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects during his tenure. On behalf of the Heating the Midwest (HTM) network, we wish Tony the best in his retirement, and thank him for making thermal projects happen in Minnesota.
How can we leave HTM better?
It's been working to advance biomass thermal and CHP since 2011, starting with a kick-off event in Carlton, Minnesota. Since that time, HTM has had annual events, monthly newsletters, action teams and related projects for advancing biomass thermal, and other advocacy efforts. Fossil prices have risen and fallen during that time. We've seen dramatic increases in the wind and solar electrical generation.
It’s time to really talk about what HTM looks like into the future. What is our ongoing role? How do we do more than annual conferences and monthly newsletters? What strategic efforts can and should be conducted? Who is the next group of leaders to step in and support HTM into the future?
To answer these and other questions, we are encouraging you to get involved. How? In April and May, HTM’s leadership will be meeting to discuss these issues. Your direct and honest feedback are important. What activities do you want HTM to tackle in support of our mission into the future? You can participate by sending your ideas and comments to any member of the executive team listed below, along with any interest you have in participating in conference or web meeting formats. However you choose to participate, we welcome it. Biomass thermal has critically important environmental, social and economic benefits including reduced heating costs, critical markets for waste and forest harvest residues, improved carbon footprint, and rural economic development.
Looking forward to your participation,
Brian Brashaw, USDA Forest Service
HTM Executive Committee: Bruno Zagar, Jeremy Mortl, T.J. Morice, Stacy Cook, Sabina Dhungana, and Brian Brashaw
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- New Advertising Opportunity for Your Business
- PFI Urges States to Exempt Pellet Plant from Business Shutdowns
- EPA Finalizes Amendments to 2015 NSPS for Wood Heating Appliances
- Excerpts of EPA's Final Rule on the 2020 Wood Heater Regulations
- Coronavirus & the Wood Heating Community
- Articles of Interest
- Industry Publications
- National Funding Opportunities
- Minnesota Funding Opportunities
- Social Media
- Free Publications
- Become an Action Team Volunteer
- Call for news
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New Advertising Opportunity for Your Business: Reach Biomass Energy Consumers Every Month!
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Increase your company’s visibility by advertising on the Midwest Biomass Exchange (MBioEX) site! One-year ads are available for $500 per advertisement.
The site currently offers six advertising placements, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a great opportunity to promote your business, because the site provides free access to individuals and companies seeking outlets for selling agricultural residues. Not only is this a great way to advertise your company’s services, it also supports the efforts of the MBioEX site at the same time!
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PFI Urges States to Exempt Pellet Plant from Business Shutdowns
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On March 24, the Pellet Fuels Institute sent letters to the governors of wood pellet producing states urging them to align their essential businesses policies with those outlined by the Department of Homeland Security released on March 19. In that advisory the DHS classified wood products manufacturing as “essential critical infrastructure” and eligible to continue operations if states decide to restrict or close nonessential businesses in their efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus.
“We were pleased to see the DHS recognize the critical importance of the broader forest products industry but what isn’t clear is how close to these recommendations individual states will hew,” said Tim Portz, executive director for the PFI. “Year-round production is required to meet the seasonal heating demand and we wanted to make sure governors understood that.”
Read the full article
here
.
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EPA Finalizes Amendments to 2015 NSPS for Wood Heating Appliances
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The U.S. EPA on March 11 finalized amendments to the 2015 new source performance standards (NSPS) for residential wood heating appliances. The amendments remove the minimum requirements for pellet fuel and clarify a requirement regarding the use of unseasoned wood to make pellets.
The rule removes most of the minimum requirements for pellet fuel contained in the 2015 NSPS, but retains a prohibition that pellet fuel must not contain any of the prohibited fuels that were listed in the 2015 NSPS. The EPA said minimum requirements for pellet fuel are already included in the standards used by the Pellet Fuels Institute
and other EPA-approved third-parties for the grading of pellet fuels.
Read the full article
here
.
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Excerpts of EPA's Final Rule on the 2020 Wood Heater Regulations
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EPA rulings can be long and technical so we excerpted the key points in the EPA's
final ruling
on March 11, 2020 on changes to the New Source Performance Standards for wood heaters. While you may know that the EPA did not agree to a sell-through period for Step 1 heaters, you may not know that the EPA ruled that pellet manufacturers can use old pallets as fiber, or exactly why the EPA kept to its original timeline. After the initial summary, the first half is about changes in pellet composition and the second half is about why they are not changing the timeline for appliance sales.
Read the full article
here.
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Coronavirus & the Wood Heating Community
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The coronavirus tidal wave has begun to break, and consumers, industry and agencies will all be impacted. An economic shock in March/April --- one of the least active seasons for stove and fuel sales and installs --- would be the best possible timing for the wood stove industry most years. But this year, the pandemic hit virtually during the same week that oil prices fell off a cliff and the EPA made a final ruling that industry had not made a sufficient case for a sell-through for Step 1 heaters.
Read the full article
here
.
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Poultry-Barn-Heating-with-Wood-Energy
Recent Publications:
Other publications:
* See HTM's website for additional publications, as well as consumer and industry tools.
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National Funding Opportunities
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DOE: No-cost technical assistance.
The DOE Office of Indian Energy provides federally recognized Indian tribes with technical assistance to advance tribal energy projects at no cost.
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Minnesota Funding Opportunities
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HTM has joined LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter
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Heating the Midwest Incorporated has created a LinkedIn page and also a Facebook page. Follow the page to stay up to date with what we're working on! Also follow us on Twitter.
Click
here
to follow us on LinkedIn
Click
here
to follow us on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter @HTM_BiomassHeat
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Biomass Magazine and Pellet Mill Magazine
are free to subscribers in the USA. Here's the link to sign up for the magazine and free e-newsletters, free webinars and more:
BTEC Newsletter
: If you are interested in receiving the Biomass Thermal Energy Council's weekly biomass newsletter and other news releases, you are encouraged to sign-up at:
http://biomassthermal.org/mailingForm.asp
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Heating the Midwest- Become an Action Team Volunteer!
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If you have a specific area of interest related to biomass thermal, we welcome your participation in one or all of HTM’s three action teams-Biomass Combustion Technologies, Biomass Policy & Benefits, and Biomass Resources & Demographics. Is your time often stretched? No problem. Time committed to the HTM effort is volunteer time. Joint action team calls are held monthly via conference call, and calls are limited to one hour in respect of members’ time and busy schedules. Members may choose to volunteer more of their time individually to support Action Team specific projects as they arise.
Individuals with a passion for biomass thermal energy are being sought to lead the Biomass Resources & Demographics Action Team or the Biomass Combustion Technologies Action Team. This is a great opportunity to share your leadership skills in furthering the mission of HTM and to directly connect with the biomass industry sector and other agencies—all with a goal of growing market opportunities for biomass and specifically for biomass as a fuel for thermal heating and cooling, and combined heat and power.
The work of the action teams involves developing “boots on the ground” projects for spurring action, discussing industry challenges in each sector and how to possibly address, networking and supporting the overall goals and vision of the Heating the Midwest with Renewable Biomass initiative in an effort to grow demand and expand marketing opportunities in the biomass thermal sector, and create awareness of biomass thermal.
HTM Joint Action Team calls are held the >>
Third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. CST
<<. Separate action team calls are scheduled as needed.
*NOTE: ACTION TEAM CALLS WILL RESUME IN SUMMER 2020. STAY TUNED*
For more detailed information, feel free to contact Becky Philipp (
bphilipp@auri.org
), steering committee member.
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Call for Your Midwest Biomass Stories and Events for May Newsletter
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As you've seen month after month; companies, governments, and communities around the Midwest are making progress on biomass heating and combined heat and power (CHP) programs and projects. If you have a story or event to contribute for next month, please submit by close of business the 3rd Wednesday of the month to
kloeffler@heatingthemidwest.org
. And, if you'd like to be on the list to receive upcoming newsletters, please contact Kelsey Loeffler at
kloeffler@heatingthemidwest.org
.
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