ISSUE 2, March 2024 | NEWSLETTER |
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MARCH 2024 | A NOTE FROM JEREMY MORTL
After an unseasonably warm month of February, March has cooled back down to average seasonal temperatures towards the end of the month in the Midwest. The warmer than normal winter temperatures this year have reduced heating costs for many homes and businesses in the Midwest. It’s easy to forget about our heating needs as we get into the spring, but a new biomass energy system is a great alternative to traditional heating appliances and a good utilization of our locally sourced natural resources. New biomass heating systems take many months of planning and manufacturing time before they can be installed, so planning ahead is essential to a successful project.
There are some great state and federally funded grant programs available for biomass thermal and co-generation projects. One of those grant programs is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and focuses on clean energy technology for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. In 2023, there were 13 of these clean energy projects awarded, valued at over $55 million.
One of those DOE grants was awarded to the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for a new biomass heating system at their Brookston Community Center in Cloquet, MN. The new biomass heating system designed by LHB Engineers and Messersmith Manufacturing will reduce annual propane fuel usage by an estimated 16,436 gallons and save an estimated 116 tons/year CO² emission per year. The fuel source will be locally sourced wood chips that will be delivered to the site by walking floor trailers and unloaded into a traveling auger fuel storage and reclaim system. A lot of biomass fuels that can be used as a fuel source are often the waste product from forestry or manufacturing operations. Biomass energy plants offer a clean efficient way to utilize these byproducts.
The Energy Vision of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is to maximize the efficiency of energy usage and develop energy resources in ways that will sustain current and future generations by addressing the economic, environmental, and social issues of energy within the context of Fond du Lac Band’s culture, traditions and established tribal policies for the wise use of our sun, forest, water, and wind resources. The new biomass heating plant will support that vision.
If you have a biomass heating project in mind or know somebody looking for information on a biomass heating project, please reach out to one of the Heating the Midwest team members to see how we can help.
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AUTHOR:
Jeremy Mortl
Messersmith Manufacturing
HTM Steering Committee
engineering@burnchips.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS
- March 26-28, 2024 - International Mass Timber Conference
- April 8-11, 2024 - 2024 National Home Performance Conference
- April 23-25, 2024 - Argus Biomass Conference
- June 10-12, 2024 - Carbon Capture & Storage Summit
- June 25-27, 2024 - Pellet Fuels Institute Annual Meeting
- August 18-20, 2024 - The Antique Stove Association 2024 Convention
- September 30-October 1, 2024 - Renewable Thermal Collaborative Summit
RESOURCES SPOTLIGHT
- Alliance for Green Heat Webinar: Carbon Accounting of Modern Wood Heat
- What It Means If You See a Cap on Someone's Chimney
- How Long Do Wood and Pellet Stoves Last?
- An Odyssey from Wood Stove to Heat Pump
- DOE Announces Leading Heat Pump Manufacturers Successfully Develop Next-generation Prototypes to Withstand Subfreezing Weather
- MF Fire Launches "Fire MAPS"
- Dovetail Partners Survey Available to Explore the Impacts of an Expanding Forest Carbon Market
LOCAL BIOMASS
- Biomass For Sale
- Biomass Wanted
IN THE NEWS
- Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill: What We Know about Billerud's Plans to Sell
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DOE Selects Six Projects to Advance Wood Heater Innovation and Reduce Wood Heater Pollution
- Wood and Biomass Moisture: Four Ways to Increase Plant Efficiency
- Ramstad: Minnesota’s Warmest Winter Chopped Weeks Off the State’s Logging Season
- Arctic Energy Alliance is Pushing the Northwest Territories to Be a National Biomass Leader
- EIA: Densified Biomass Fuel Sales Reach 790,000 Tons in November
- USDA: US Wood Pellet Exports Reach 9.54 Million Metric Tons in 2023
- EIA: Biomass Power Capacity to Hold Steady in 2024 and 2025
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
- Tennessee Forestry, Agriculture & Rural Markets (FARM) Grants
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USDA REAP Funds
- Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy Launch Rural and Agricultural Income & Savings from Renewable Energy (RAISE) Initiative
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Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America offers Feasibility Study Grant Program
- Tribal Rural Business Development Grants
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Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
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HTM STEERING COMMITTEE
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Jeremy Mortl* - President
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Bruno Zagar - Vice President
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T.J. Morice* - Secretary/Treasurer
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Stacy Cook*
- David Neumann
- Joseph Donnell
- Becky Philipp
- Tim Portz - National Rep
- Adam Sherman - National Rep
* Executive Members
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY HEATING THE MIDWEST
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UPCOMING EVENT
March 26-28, 2024
April 8-11, 2024
April 23-25, 2024
June 10-12, 2024
June 25-27, 2024
August 18-20, 2024
September 30-October 1, 2024
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What it Means if You See a Cap on Someone’s Chimney:
How Long Do Wood and Pellet Stoves Last?:
An Odyssey from Wood Stove to Heat Pump:
DOE Announces Leading Heat Pump Manufacturers Successfully Develop Next-generation Prototypes to Withstand Subfreezing Weather:
MF Fire Launches “Fire MAPS”: MF Fire has developed “Fire MAPS” that can attach to any wood stove, and help stove owners lower their stove’s by signaling when to close the door, for example. https://www.startengine.com/offering/mffire
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Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill: What We Know about Billerud's Plans to Sell |
DOE Selects Six Projects to Advance Wood Heater Innovation and Reduce Wood Heater Pollution |
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Wood and Biomass Moisture: Four Ways to Increase Plant Efficiency |
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Ramstad: Minnesota’s Warmest Winter Chopped Weeks Off the State’s Logging Season |
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Arctic Energy Alliance is Pushing the Northwest Territories to Be a National Biomass Leader |
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EIA: Densified Biomass Fuel Sales Reach 790,000 Tons in November |
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USDA: US Wood Pellet Exports Reach 9.54 Million Metric Tons in 2023
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EIA: Biomass Power Capacity to Hold Steady in 2024 and 2025 |
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Tennessee Forestry, Agriculture & Rural Markets (FARM) Grants
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USDA REAP
Funds may be used to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses install renewable energy systems or to make energy-efficiency improvements. Application windows are: March 31, 2024; June 30, 2024; and September 30, 2024.
For more information about the Inflation Reduction Act, visit:
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Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy Launch Rural and Agricultural Income & Savings from Renewable Energy (RAISE) Initiative
USDA is providing additional technical assistance to support applications for the use of the $144.75 million in grant funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for REAP underutilized technology projects, including but not limited to farmer-owned smaller-scale wind projects, small-scale hydropower, geothermal, biomass-based and other clean energy. DOE also intends to prioritize technical assistance for smaller-scale wind projects through various programs.
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Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America offers Feasibility Study Grant Program
Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America, the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, is offering a Feasibility Study Grant Program. Applications will be accepted year-round, until all funds are awarded for the current calendar year.
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Tribal Rural Business Development Grants
USDA Rural Development announced that USDA is expanding eligibility for Tribes under the Rural Business Development Grants program. This program creates jobs, spurs economic growth, and supports enterprise projects in rural and Tribal communities. On January 16, 2024, new and expanded eligibility definitions took effect under the program to enable more Tribal government-owned entities to qualify for funding. Details available at:
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Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
USDA recently announced that it is accepting applications for loans and grants to expand access to new and better markets for rural small business owners and microentrepreneurs. The department is making approximately $29 million available in funding through the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). USDA provides RMAP funding to non-profits, Tribes, colleges and universities to create revolving loan fund programs and support training and technical assistance for rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises. Rural businesses with 10 or fewer full-time employees are eligible for loans and technical assistance. Details are available at:
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MORE WAYS TO GET BIOMASS NEWS |
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BiomassMagazine.com
- Printed Magazine
- Free digital Magazine
- Free e-Newsletters
- Free Webinars
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Pellet Mill Magazine Free to U.S. Subscribers.
- Printed Magazine
- Free digital Magazine
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