June 3, 2016

In this Week's Pellet Wire:



PFI Annual Conference in Asheville, NC: Preview the Conference Agenda 

Don't miss the PFI Annual Conference at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC next month!

In addition to the annual golf tournament, board meeting, and networking opportunities, the conference will feature information on and analysis of the pellet fuels markets, operations, regulations and policy that may affect the pellet fuels industry, and more.

Conference highlights include:

  • A keynote address by Tom Martin with the American Forest Foundation (more below)
  • Policy and regulatory overviews by Pat Rita and Eric Kingsley
  • Global Pellet Outlook, a panel discussion featuring North American pellet industry leaders and experts, including executives from Drax and Enviva
  • A comprehensive update on the steadily growing PFI Standards Program
  • A discussion on evolving pellet fuels technologies
  • A look at new market opportunities and projections for U.S. pellet fuels manufacturers

Visit PFI's website to view the full conference agenda and register. 



Conference Preview: Get to Know Tom Martin, CEO of American Forest Foundation

American Forest Foundation CEO Tom Martin will be giving the keynote address at the PFI Annual Conference in July.

Having served as the leader of the American Forest Foundation for seven years, Tom has devoted his career to sustainability and the environment. An environmental attorney by trade, he has worked at the National Audobon Society, as well as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Tom is a tireless advocate for forest preservation - particularly family-owned forests - and sees biomass as an important contributor to the forest products industry. In a column last year, he advocated for better engaging and educating forest owners, helping them to actively manage their lands for profit. Read more about Tom here.

About AFF

AFF is committed to creating a future where North American forests are sustained by the public that understands and values the social, economic, and environmental benefits they provide to our communities, our nation, and the world.

AFF's programs reach from small woodlots to classrooms, to communities. Its 40-year-old Project Learning Tree program, for example, provides quality environmental education curricula and training to some 25,000 educators every year. AFF also administers the largest forest certification system for small owners in North America as well as award-winning conservation research and demonstration projects throughout the U.S. Visit the American Forest Foundation website.



Host an Event for Bioenergy Day 2016, Taking Place on October 19

October 19, 2016, marks the Fourth Annual Bioenergy Day! Many pellet fuels manufacturers are planning facility tours and other events to emphasize the many economic and environmental benefits of bioenergy to elected officials, customers, the media and other stakeholders.

We urge anyone interested in building ties to their communities to consider hosting a Bioenergy Day event, either on your own or jointly with other bioenergy businesses or supporters in your region.  There are many resources available to help you plan, including a Participation Guide on theBioenergy Day website. Previous participants are also willing to share best practices, lessons learned, and other tips to ensure a smooth and successful event. 

Thanks to many sponsors, including the U.S. Forest Service, and participants, Bioenergy Day has grown each year. Organizations across the country have engaged their communities on bioenergy, earning dozens of media stories and helping more people understand bioenergy. State and local governments, elected officials, universities and businesses have all recognized bioenergy in its many forms. Biomass power, domestic and export pellets, biogas, anaerobic digesters, combined heat and power - all of these types of bioenergy are part of Bioenergy Day.

To learn more, visit www.bioenergyday.com, or send an email to Carrie Annand at [email protected]


Attend the Asia Pacific Biomass Energy Technology & Equipment Exhibition in Guangzhou, China

Interested in exploring the Asian pellet fuels markets? Consider attending the Asia Pacific Biomass Energy Technology & Equipment Exhibition held in Guangzhou, China, September 26-28. The conference, now in its fifth year, boasts thousands of attendees around the world.

Visit the conference website or contact Jenny Xiong for more information. 


Reserve Your Space at the 2016 PFI Annual Conference in Asheville, NC!

Don't miss this year's PFI Annual Conference at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina! Registration opened last month for the conference, taking place July 24-26, 2016. 

The PFI Annual Conference highlights the various applications of densified biomass, as well as trends and best practices within the densified biomass industry. It attracts a broad range of individuals from the public and private sectors, academia, and local, state and national governments from North America and beyond. The conference features two days of educational sessions as well as industry exhibits, extensive networking opportunities and a golf tournament. 

Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities
We are also excited to announce sponsorship and exhibitor packages for the PFI Annual Conference. Sponsorship and exhibition at PFI's Annual Conference offer fantastic marketing and networking opportunities for all involved in the pellet fuels industry. Each year, colleagues from across North America and beyond attend this can't miss conference featuring two days of educational sessions, industry exhibits and social events. For information on sponsorships and exhibition, please contact PFI at [email protected]


 


Upcoming Industry Events

June 6-9, 2016 : European Biomass Conference & Exhibition

June 15-17, 2016
: International Bioenergy Conference

July 24-26, 2016
: PFI Annual Conference

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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.


Industry News

Congress Confirms Biomass Should Help Fight Climate Change
The Hill
In a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation, the Senate just passed a far-ranging energy bill. Critics have quickly homed in on a unanimously adopted amendment recognizing the renewability and carbon benefits of biomass energy derived from wood and plant material. That designation puts biomass in the same category as wind, solar, and other renewables in the eyes of federal officials.

Critics claim lawmakers have gotten out in front of the science and that there's not enough evidence to definitively prove biomass's environmental benefits. They're wrong. Science recognizes biomass is a well-established way to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Supporting biomass energy provides one more important strategy for fighting global climate change.

Read the Full Article


Wood Pellet Company to Protect NC Forests
Coastal Review Online
Enviva, the wood pellet manufacturer, will give $295,000 in grants to two conservation groups to protect bottomland forests along the Neuse and Roanoke rivers.

The Maryland-based company has come under fire from environmentalists for cutting down hardwood trees that its mills then turn into wood pellets that are burned by European power plants.

Read the Full Article


Biomass Would Solve Many of our Forest Problems
Redding CA Record Spotlight
At a recent conference for The Association of California Water Agencies, I attended a seminar on headwaters health. What I discovered was highly alarming. Following several years of drought, two thirds of the trees in California's National Forests are dead or dying. The drought weakens or kills the trees, of course, but it also makes them increasingly susceptible to insect infestations and that seriously compound the issue.

The fires in Alberta, Canada this year should serve as harbingers of what we face this summer and in subsequent summers. The question is how and what to do to mitigate the threat. Obviously, these trees need to be removed but what do we do with all this dry waste material? To burn it in the open air would produce hundreds of millions of tons of greenhouse gases, thus exacerbating the global warming effects and wreaking further damage on the forests and the environment.

Read the Full Article

Pinnacle Pellet Announces Immediate Operations Curtailment
Quesnel Cariboo Observer 
Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. announced today (May 31) that it will curtail operations at its Quesnel pellet plant effective immediately.

There are a number of factors that have gone into the decision. Key among them are that the plant, first opened in 1988, was designed to process a diet of dry residuals from the local sawmills.

Read the Full Article


Pellet Fuels Institute |  [email protected]   | 703.522.6778