Catch up with PFI in this issue of the Pellet Wire!

April 2, 2021 

In this Week's Pellet Wire:


From the Director's Desk: 

Why You Should Join Us in Louisville

Earlier this week we announced that registration for the 2021 PFI Annual Conference was open, and I hope you have marked your calendars. We are excited about the prospect of gathering once again and I hope you share our excitement at the prospect of connecting with industry friends and colleagues, as well. We’ve got lots to talk about. Below I’ve outlined the five best reasons to attend this year’s annual conference.

1. The wood pellet sector is humming. While 2020 fell just short of the high-water mark in 2019 for wood pellet sales, the past two years have been strong for wood pellet producers. What is even more incredible is to consider that 2020 was as strong as it was even in the midst of a pandemic that disrupted business and closed retail outlets for portions of the year. Wood pellet producers, buoyed by strong sales and emboldened by strong demand, are planning expansions and capital projects. If you want to understand where the industry is headed in 2021 and beyond, you need to come to Louisville.

2. Our sector achieved its largest policy victory ever in 2020. This statement may seem initially hyperbolic but I’m struggling to imagine a bigger policy victory in the sector’s history than the passage of the residential components of the BTU Act. A 26% tax credit on qualifying pellet appliances should be a game-changer for our sector, and we will be discussing how to best leverage it for an expansion of our market that will drive increased demand for wood pellets for years to come. If you want to hear or contribute to the conversation, you need to come to Louisville.

3. We’ve got a new administration in Washington, D.C. Regardless of your political persuasions, the simple fact is a change of administrations in the executive branch brings opportunity and risk. Our job as a trade organization is to maximize the opportunities and mitigate the risks. I expect a lively discussion around what the Biden administration means for our sector and if you would like to hear it or contribute to it, you need to come to Louisville.

4. The BBQ market continues to gain momentum. While the sales numbers of heating pellets suggest that the stay-at-home realities of the pandemic didn’t materially increase heating fuel consumption, stories abound of increased BBQ appliances and the wood pellets they burn. Still, the actual size and trajectory of the wood pellet market remains somewhat of a mystery. I’ll do my best to tease out some specifics during our BBQ panel, and attendees will have a great opportunity to talk to representatives from the leading market participants, but again, to do so you’ll need to come to Louisville.

5. Old friends. Golf. Bourbon. Perhaps you don’t participate in all three of these, but my hope is that you nodded in recognition to at least one or two. If you are ready to travel and are comfortable doing so, we look forward to you joining us. It will have been two years since we gathered when the gavel drops on the morning of Thursday, June 10th (there’s no gavel, I just liked the image). One of my favorite aspects of this sector is the decades-long friendships that permeate the sector. It turns out we largely like one another, and I look forward to seeing those friendships rekindled. Again, to do so, you’ll need to come to Louisville.

A short note on safety. I won’t hazard a guess as to what the world will look like in June. I can say that we’ll be following sound guidance to keep conference attendees as safe as we can. That said, if this isn’t the year for you, we will understand.

Learn more about the conference and register here.

Tim Portz 
Executive Director


Photo of the Week

Golfing Again: The last time the Pellet Fuels Institute Annual Golf Tournament was held was in 2019 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. With great enthusiasm, we look forward to rebooting the time-honored tradition of our annual golf tournament. Golf is scheduled for Wednesday, June 9 at the Covered Bridge Golf Course in Sellersburg, Indiana.

Send Us Photos! Help us build a collection of photos of our members, their pellets mills, and product! Send images to Tim Portz at [email protected].


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We'd like to connect and interact with PFI members and anyone else involved in pellet fuel production! 

Here's how you can help us build our online community:

  1. Follow us on TwitterFacebook, and LinkedIn!
  2. Encourage your colleagues and business associates to follow us
  3. Send Tim Portz news or other ideas to post on PFI's social media

Have News to Share on Pellet Wire?

We would love to feature your company's news in a future Pellet Wire! Let us be the first to know about your company's recent developments, and we will share them with the broader pellet fuels industry.

Please get in touch with Tim Portz via email at [email protected] with information on your company's growth, job openings, promotions, or other news. 


Join a PFI Committee

We welcome and encourage all interested PFI members to get involved in our committees. There are many opportunities to help steer the association. No matter where your expertise and interests lie, we have a committee that will suit you. Help us plan our next conference, shape our policy agenda, lead communications outreach, or grow the PFI Standards Program. Visit PFI's Committee Page for more information.

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Fuel Availability

Are you a PFI member, pellet manufacturer, or distributor that has fuel available? Email [email protected] to have your listing updated or added to the PFI website.


Thanks for Your Continued Support of PFI! 

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Pellet Fuels Institute

[email protected] | (206) 209-5277 | www.pelletheat.org