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A Message from the Executive Director
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Welcome to the
June edition of the BTEC Newsletter.
The past month has been very productive for the Biomass Thermal Energy Council and its members.
We welcomed 13
new members to our ranks. Today, BTEC is made up of 39 members, representing
19 U.S. states, 3 Canadian provinces, Austria and Denmark. This is a promising development,
considering BTEC's largely northeastern presence initially.
We have also welcomed our first affiliate, RISI, a leading information
provider for the global forest products industry. We have established a
partnership with RISI for a 25% discount for BTEC members for the Wood Biomass
Market Report ($498 retail). We have also instituted a BTEC Focus Group to
provide input into future RISI Market Reports.
Another major success has been the introduction of the Biomass Energy
Efficiency Incentives Amendment by Sen. Shaheen (D-NH) during the
Energy and
Natural Resources (ENR) Committee markup of the Senate Energy Bill.
This
amendment would provide for a telescoping renewable electricity credit
for
electric and thermal output from biomass, such that the higher the
overall
output efficiency, the higher the renewable energy credit multiplier.
The ENR
Committee has approved this amendment, making it part of the Renewable
Electricity Standard legislation that will proceed to the Senate floor.
This a first for biomass thermal energy and is potentially worth
millions of dollars.
This is the kind of work BTEC is providing its members. If you are interested in learning more about BTEC, feel free to call Kyle Gibeault, Program Coordinator, or visit our website, www.biomassthermal.org.
We hope you enjoy reading our newsletter.
Best regards,
Jeffrey A. Serfass
Executive Director |
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BTEC News
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RISI and BTEC Form Partnership
May 28, 2009
By Lisa Gibson, Biomass Magazine
A
new partnership between RISI and the Biomass Thermal Energy Council
will allow BTEC members to contribute to RISI's Wood Biomass Market
Report, a comprehensive source of market information and wood biomass
feedstock pricing in North America. Read More >>
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Biomass Thermal Energy Council Hails Introduction of Renewable Energy Alternative Production Act (REAP Act)
May 21, 2009
The
Biomass Thermal Energy Council applauds Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) for
introducing on May 20th the Renewable Energy Alternative Production Act
(S.1094). Also known as the REAP Act, this legislation would amend
Section 45 of the Internal Revenue Code to allow production tax credits
for non-electric renewable energy. Read More >>
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PREVIEW: Opportunity Notices
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This is a limited preview of opportunity notices that are sent out to BTEC
members. As a BTEC member, you would receive regular alerts on business
opportunities that are brought to the attention of BTEC staff.
Company looking for buyers of its bio-fuel briquettes
A
New York-based company is looking for customers for its bio-fuel
briquettes. Made from dried cow manure, each pound of briquettes has a
BTU value of around 7,000.
Join BTEC for more information.
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| Biomass Thermal in the News |
Rekindling Wood Energy in America
by Dan Richter, Duke University, et al., June 22, 2009
"Clean-energy
opportunities are many and will be realized if energy policy can both
promote the efficiency of our energy system and sustainable development
of a full complement of renewables: solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and
biomass.
As America begins to back away from fossil fuels, consumers are more
and more ready to transition to affordable and sustainable sources of
renewable energies. The recently proposed Renewable Electricity
Standard (RES) is gaining considerable support in Congress and among
the general public. As written however, it inadvertently is poised to
waste large amounts of renewable thermal energy and needs more careful
crafting." Read More >>
USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan Announces Economic Recovery Projects for Wood-To-Energy Grants and Biomass Utilization Projects
by Justin DeJong, USDA, June 11, 2009
"Agriculture
Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced projects funded by
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for Wood-To-Energy
and biomass utilization. These 30 projects, funded at $57 million - $49
million for wood-to-energy grants and $8 million for biomass
utilization - are located in 14 states, including California." Read More >>
Biomass Project Financing Solutions in Today's Difficult Capital Markets
By Sue Wyka, Biomass Magazine, May 20, 2009
"The
biomass industry presents exciting new opportunities in renewable
energy. As an emerging industry, there remains a lot of uncertainty
around feedstock costs, supply and aggregation, technology and off-take
contracts. Project finance is difficult in the best of times, but it is
especially challenging in today's capital markets. The bright side is
the amount of money flowing from the federal government into renewable
energy in the form of grants and loan guarantees." Read More >>
Middlebury College's Biomass Heating and Cooling Plant
Renewable Energy World, May 14, 2009
"In
2004, when Middlebury College committed itself to cutting by 8 percent
its carbon emissions - a pledge it would later strengthen, to full
carbon neutrality by 2016 - 'among the different actions that were
identified, biomass was clearly one that could make a big difference,'
recalls Jack Byrne, sustainability coordinator at the renowned Vermont
liberal-arts college." Read More >>
Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass: Highlights
Renewable Energy World, May 1, 2009
Highlights
from the first Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass Conference.
Includes address from NH Governor John Lynch and former Pennsylvania
Congressman John Peterson. Read More >> |
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Staff Picks
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Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass
Presentations of the speakers at the Conference on April 29-30, 2009
Heating and Cooling with Sustainable Biomass Energy
By the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) Presentations of the speakers at the Briefing on June 2, 2009
Forest Biomass: Renewable, Low Carbon, and Limited
By the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) Presentations of the speakers at the Briefing on June 11, 2009
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BTEC Member Spotlight |
Alterna Energy
Member since March 2009
Alterna
Energy is a company focused on the manufacturing of biocarbon from
products, such as wood, municipal and agricultural waste and tires.
Biocarbon,
also called biochar or charcoal, is a renewable replacement for coal
manufactured for industrial markets. The material is produced from any
biomass through carbonization. There are many markets for the product
including biochar (agricultural applications), activated biocarbon, and
energy pellets.
Visit Alterna's website >>
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BTEC Member News |
Agrosil Energy to grow commercial-scale miscanthus
Biomass Magazine, May 7th 2009
Colorado-based Agrosil Energy LLC has begun
large-scale growing operations of Miscanthus x giganteus for use in
producing heat and power or liquid biofuels. The energy crop has been
used for years in the U.K. and Europe, and Agrosil is in the lead
position for commercial production in the U.S., according to Agrosil
Vice President of Energy Crops Tom Harrington... Read more >> |
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| Upcoming Events |
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June 23 - 24
June 23 - 25
June 29 - July 3
July 8 - 10
July 14 - 15
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