From the Director’s Desk: HPB Expo Musings, January EIA Data – We’ll Have to Wait, Fly-in Next Week
HPB Expo Musings
Last week I traveled to the Hearth, Patio, Barbecue Expo, the foremost trade event for the broader hearth products industry, to connect with some old friends, some new ones and at least two Pellet Fuels Institute board members, and one board alumnus. The Expo was held in New Orleans, which also enabled quick visits to Drago’s for broiled oysters and Café Du Monde for beignets and chicory coffee. My main takeaway from the event…
Hearth professionals simply want to provide people with the very basic necessity of space heat.
I was pleased to be able to sit in on the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association Government Affairs and Leadership Academy (GALA) on Wednesday. The HPBA has been hosting GALA for years and while its format has changed, the goal remains the same, educate industry participants and empower them to become industry advocates. The session I attended featured participants from across the hearth supply chain, from appliance manufacturers to independent hearth retailers. Largely I sat and listened. I heard about fuel bans. I heard about stove tests. I heard about recertifications. I heard about model codes and other technologies being hailed as the “silver bullet”, all from people who have built their entire careers around selling hearth appliances. They have watched as emissions regulations (PM 2.5) have tightened from 14-15 grams/hour in the late 80s to the ultra-low 2 grams/hour air regulations stipulates now. They have watched as states have introduced gas bans, drafted their own lists of qualifying solid fuel appliances and offered rebates for the installation of electric heat pumps. I overheard one retailer say the Pacific Northwest was becoming a very difficult place to operate a hearth business. That is a sad state of affairs considering that the region is full of homes that, some way or another, will need to be heated.
January EIA Data – We’ll Have to Wait
The industry chatter around the wood pellet for home heating market in January is that the month was an overdue and very welcome reprieve from the underwhelming sales figures of the first half of the 2024-25 heating season. There was even speculation that January 2025 may set a few new records, particularly in the East. I was really looking forward to seeing some strong sales numbers and reporting them here, but that will have to wait until next week as the EIA indicated the January data would be delayed until April 8. We will lead with a recap of January’s numbers in the next edition of the Pellet Wire.
Fly-in Next Week
Next Wednesday the Pellet Fuels Institute will conduct its 2025 legislative fly-in, educating our elected members of Congress about our industry and how federal policies and regulation impact our businesses. Our schedule will connect us with policymakers sitting on committees of jurisdiction that impact our Farm Bill, regulatory and tax credit ambitions. Expect a full fly-in recap in the next edition of the Pellet Wire. A special thank you to our members who are taking time out of their busy schedules to advocate for our industry.
PFI Conference Registration Is OPEN!
Registration for this year’s PFI Annual Conference is now open. This year’s conference is set in the heart of hardwood and wood pellet manufacturing at one of the country’s most iconic resorts: The Greenbrier. Tucked into the hills of West Virginia, The Greenbrier is a unique property with a rich history. Make plans now to join the Pellet Fuels Institute, its board of directors and members, and the vendor community that serves the wood pellet sector on June 17–19.
Schedule of Events:
Tuesday, June 17 – PFI Board of Directors Meeting, Board and Conference VIP Event
Wednesday, June 18 – PFI Annual Golf Tournament, Opening Reception
Thursday, June 19 – PFI Annual Conference, Marketplace, and Technical Discussions
I’d like to draw special attention to the Board and Conference VIP Night on Tuesday, June 17. This event is available to members of the PFI board, pellet-producing members of the PFI, and Diamond- and Platinum-level sponsors. This year’s VIP night is set in one of the most interesting pieces of Cold War history in the United States. At the height of the Cold War, a Congressional relocation bunker was secretly built underneath The Greenbrier and prepared to house members of Congress in the event of a nuclear attack on Washington, D.C. The facility included barracks, an air filtration system, a cache of foodstuffs and fresh drinking water, and facilities for Congress to continue operating the government during a time of war. Kept secret until the 1990s, an evening spent in the Congressional bunker will not soon be forgotten.
Making the journey to The Greenbrier is easier than ever, thanks to a new daily flight between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB). Starting in June, Contour Airlines will offer a daily roundtrip flights starting at $79 one way.
Registration, sponsorship information, a schedule of events, and confirmed speakers can be viewed online now. We look forward to welcoming you to The Greenbrier.
