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In this Issue:
- New Directors: Mark Lay and Lisa Rockefeller
- President includes funding for CWEP in 2011 Budget Request
- Christiane Egger presents at BTEC Board Meeting
- Biomass Thermal at RETECH 2010
- BTEC Public Comments to Key Agencies
- Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass Conference
- BTEC Membership
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 Biomass Thermal Energy Council Update
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By Kyle Gibeault | Deputy Director
The snow may be melting here in D.C., but the temperatures outside tell us we're still firmly
in this year's heating season! And unfortunately, many American homes,
businesses, and industrial facilities are still relying on fossil fuels for
thermal energy. We've been doing a lot on behalf of the industry to help
advance the use of biomass for these heating needs.
One of the most recent
successes is the full funding of the Community Wood Energy Program (CWEP) in
the President's FY 11 budget request. CWEP is a competitive grant program that
assists local governments with the capital costs of installing high-efficiency,
biomass-fueled heating systems. Securing funding for this program has been a
priority of BTEC's since our inception in January 2009. Although the budget
request still has to go through Congress, the coordinated efforts of BTEC and
several other organizations on this issue seem to have finally paid off!
We continue to meet with
Congressional staff and federal agencies to discuss biomass thermal and how it
fits into America's energy policy. In addition to recently meeting with officials
at USDA and EIA, last month we submitted comments on several legislative and
regulatory issues (see below for more information).
BTEC has gotten off to a
strong start in its second year. Continue reading to learn more about what
we've been doing on the industry's behalf and how you can get more involved.
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New Directors: Mark Lay and Lisa Rockefeller
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At the February 4 Board meeting, two individuals were
welcomed onto BTEC's Board of Directors.
Mark Lay, Director of Renewables for Gavilon, was appointed
to fill the Supply Chain Board seat vacancy.
Lisa Rockefeller, Director of Public Affairs for
WoodPellets.com, was appointed by Jon Strimling, President of WoodPellets.com,
to replace him on the Board of Directors.
Congratulations Mark and Lisa!
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President includes
funding for CWEP in 2011 Budget Request
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The President's FY11 budget request includes $5 million-the
full authorized amount-for the Community Wood Energy Program (CWEP). Authorized
under section 9013 of the 2008 Farm Bill, CWEP is a competitive grant program
that assists local governments with the capital costs of installing
high-efficiency, biomass-fueled heating systems. CWEP provides states, counties
and municipalities with matching grants through the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to offset the costs of installing heating systems that utilize
locally available biomass resources, such as wood chips, wood pellets, or other
biomass energy feedstocks.
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Christiane Egger
presents at BTEC Board Meeting
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 Christiane Egger, Deputy Manager of the Upper
Austria Renewable Energy Agency, gave a very interesting presentation at the recent BTEC Board
meeting on the development of the biomass thermal industry in her home state in
Austria.
Thanks to the policy decisions made in Austria, her state is now home to over 35,000 biomass heating
installations and 270 biomass district heating plants. A lesson for those of us in the U.S.!
Click here to view the presentation >>
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Biomass Thermal at
RETECH
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BTEC organized a biomass
thermal energy panel session at the recent Renewable Energy Technology
Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Speakers included:
Jeffrey Serfass, BTEC Executive Director
Jon Strimling, CEO, WoodPellets.com
Charlie Niebling, General Manager, New England Wood Pellets
Bruce Lisle, Founder and Retired CEO, Energex Pellet Fuel
Dan Henry, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Hearth and Home Technologies
You can view the
presentations from this February 5 session on our website at www.biomassthermal.org/resource/presentations.asp
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BTEC Public Comments to Key Agencies
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BTEC has recently submitted comments to several agencies on
key programs and issues of interest to the biomass thermal industry. - Letter to U.S. Dept. of Energy Under Secretary Kristina Johnson on the potential of biomass thermal energy [January 20, 2010]
View PDF >>- Letter to U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Biomass Crop Assistance Program [January 15, 2010]
View PDF >>- Letter to NESCAUM regarding regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard [January 8, 2010]
View PDF >>
You
may view these comments and letters on our website at www.biomassthermal.org/legislative/comments.asp
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Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass: April 27-28, 2010
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The second annual Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass
conference will be held April 27-28 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
BTEC is a proud co-host of this event. Stay tuned
for conference details.
More information can be found at www.HeatNE.com
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BTEC Membership
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Biomass thermal is gaining momentum in the U.S. A little over one year after forming, we now have
over 75 members, representing biomass fuel producers, appliance manufacturers,
distributors, investment companies, project developers, and nonprofits.
Joining
our growing coalition is the easiest way to support the development of the
biomass thermal industry in the U.S. Go to our website www.biomassthermal.org/membership for more information on membership,
or please feel free to contact us directly at kyle.gibeault@biomassthermal.org.
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