Join us in celebrating National Bioenergy Day!
Organizations across the country are uniting to support bioenergy. On October 24, 2018, participating organizations will open their doors to their communities to demonstrate the many benefits that bioenergy provides on a local level.
2018 Midwest Participants include:
Michigan Conservative Energy Forum
Lansing, MI
Michigan Biomass
Detroit, MI
Koda Energy
Shakopee, MN
View event details here
Participating organizations for the Koda Energy event include:
Koda Energy LLC | Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community | Brewers Supply Group | Rahr Malting | Clean Energy Economy MN | WoodMaster | Dem-Con | USDA/USFS Forest Products Laboratory | Agricultural Utilization and Research Institute | Minnesota Department of Agriculture | MN State Center for Energy Excellence | Heating the Midwest | Robert White Industries | Great Plains Institute
Minnesota Power
Grand Rapids, MN
Hy-C Company
St. Louis, MO
Green Star Gasifiers, LLC / Western Area Power Association / Nebraska Forest Service / Nebraska Department of Economic Development
South Sioux City, NE
NMPP Energy
Lincoln, NE
Indeck Energy
Ladysmith, WI
Hay Creek Pallet Companies
Pittsville, WI
American Home Fireplace & Patio
West Salem, WI
The Bioeconomy Institute
Ames, IA
View full list of 2018 Bioenergy Day Participants here .
In This Newsletter:
- Participate in National Bioenergy Day!
- EIA Predicts Higher Winter Heating Costs for Most Energy Sources
- FutureMetrics Paper Discusses Model for Forecasting Pellet Prices
- Poultry Barn Heating with Wood Energy
- Researchers to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Sawdust
- Pellet Project in Maine Awarded $200,000 REAP Grant
- National Funding Opportunities
- Minnesota Funding Opportunities
- LinkedIn
- Free Publications
- Ideas for SWET
- Become an Action Team Volunteer
- Call for news
Participate in National Bioenergy Day
October 24th, 2018
EIA Predicts Higher Winter Heating Costs for Most Energy Sources
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the October edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook and 2018-2019 Winter Fuels Outlook, predicting that average household bills for most energy sources of home heating will rise this winter due to higher forecast energy prices. So having a full check of a home’s heating system to see if a
repair needs to be done, is very important during this time.
While temperatures are expected to be roughly the same as last winter in much of the country, the EIA expects prices for home heating oil to increase by 20 percent. The prices of other sources of heating are also expected to increase, with natural gas bills expected to be up 5 percent, and electricity to be up 3 percent. Those with aging gas or electric boilers may want to start looking into fitting a more energy efficient boiler. According to boiler fitters like PTP, older boilers are not as efficient and use more fuel than modern boilers (for more information on boiler replacement
visit their website here.) Fitting a new energy efficient boiler may hopefully negate these price rises in the long run.
Expenditures for homes that use propane are expected to be about the same as last winter. However, this consistent trend isn’t expected to continue as more people look at the differences between
kerosene vs propane and begin to swap their buying preferences.
Regarding wood heating, the EIA notes approximately 2.1 million households, or 2 percent of U.S. households, currently use cord wood or wood pellets as a primary residential space-heating fuel. The EIA estimates another 8 percent of households use wood as a secondary source of heat, making wood second to electricity as a supplementary heating fuel.
Read the full story
here .
FutureMetrics Paper Discusses Model for Forecasting Pellet Prices
FutureMetrics LLC has published a new white paper discussing the model it has developed for estimating the cost of producing and transporting wood pellets from major producing regions to the foreign ports of major industrial end users.
Read the full story
here .
A full copy of the white paper can be downloaded from FutureMetrics’
website.
Poultry Barn Heating with Wood Energy
Download the new publication
here .
Researchers to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Sawdust
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of researchers from UMass Lowell, the University of Maine and Florida-based Mainstream Engineering Corp. to develop renewable fuel additives made from “woody biomass” – particularly sawdust from sawmills.
Read the full story
here .
Pellet Project in Maine Awarded $200,000 REAP Grant
A proposed wood pellet plant in Maine was recently awarded a $200,000 grant through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. The REAP award was announced by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.
According to information released by Pingree’s office, T&D Wood Energy LLC was awarded $200,000 in REAP funding to support the development of a $5.7 million wood pellet plant in Sanford, Maine.
Read the full story
here.
National Funding Opportunities
USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant can cover 25% of project costs and a project can begin after an application has been submitted. Applications are due April 1, 2018 for projects of any size. REAP grants are competitive (1 in 4 applicants awarded).
DOE: No-cost technical assistance. The DOE Office of Indian Energy provides federally recognized Indian tribes with technical assistance to advance tribal energy projects at no cost.
Minnesota Funding Opportunities
Additional details available
here .
Energy Education at the Local Level Grant Program The Minnesota Department of Commerce State Energy Office has developed a small grants program to promote energy education at the local level. The program will award grants of up to $5,000 to carry out energy education initiatives. It is available to qualified applicants, either individuals or partnerships, who are educators (pre-K through grade 12) at schools, youth groups, educational programs, nonprofits, or other civic organizations.
HTM has joined LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter
Heating the Midwest Incorporated has created a LinkedIn page and also a Facebook page. Follow the page to stay up to date with what we’re working on! Also follow us on Twitter.
Click
here to follow us on LinkedIn
Click
here to follow us on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter @HTM_BiomassHeat
Biomass Magazine and Pellet Mill Magazine are free to subscribers in the USA. Here’s the link to sign up for the magazine and free e-newsletters, free webinars and more:
BTEC Newsletter : If you are interested in receiving the Biomass Thermal Energy Council’s weekly biomass newsletter and other news releases, you are encouraged to sign-up at:
http://biomassthermal.org/mailingForm.asp
Have Biomass Project Ideas for SWET?
Michigan Statewide Wood Energy Team
Wisconsin Statewide Wood Energy Team
Heating the Midwest- Become an Action Team Volunteer!
If you have a specific area of interest related to biomass thermal, we welcome your participation in one or all of HTM’s three action teams-Biomass Combustion Technologies, Biomass Policy & Benefits, and Biomass Resources & Demographics. Is your time often stretched? No problem. Time committed to the HTM effort is volunteer time. Joint action team calls are held monthly via conference call, and calls are limited to one hour in respect of members’ time and busy schedules. Members may choose to volunteer more of their time individually to support Action Team specific projects as they arise.
Individuals with a passion for biomass thermal energy are being sought to lead the Biomass Resources & Demographics Action Team or the Biomass Combustion Technologies Action Team. This is a great opportunity to share your leadership skills in furthering the mission of HTM and to directly connect with the biomass industry sector and other agencies-all with a goal of growing market opportunities for biomass and specifically for biomass as a fuel for thermal heating and cooling, and combined heat and power.
The work of the action teams involves developing “boots on the ground” projects for spurring action, discussing industry challenges in each sector and how to possibly address, networking and supporting the overall goals and vision of the Heating the Midwest with Renewable Biomass initiative in an effort to grow demand and expand marketing opportunities in the biomass thermal sector, and create awareness of biomass thermal. HTM Joint Action Team calls are held the >> Third Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. CST <<. Separate action team calls are scheduled as needed.
For more detailed information on the Biomass Resources & Demographics Action Team, please contact Mike Marsollek (
MMarsollek@kodaenergy.com ); and for the Biomass Policy & Benefits Action Team, please contact Gregg Mast (
Gregg_Mast@earthtechenergy.com ). Questions pertaining to the Biomass Combustion Technologies Action Team can be forwarded to either action team chair noted, or feel free to contact Becky Philipp (
bphilipp@auri.org ), steering committee member.
Call for Your Midwest Biomass Stories and Events for November Newsletter
As you’ve seen month after month; companies, governments, and communities around the Midwest are making progress on biomass heating and combined heat and power (CHP) programs and projects. If you have a story or event to contribute for next month, please submit by close of business the 3rd Wednesday of the month to
kloeffler@heatingthemidwest.org . And, if you’d like to be on the list to receive upcoming newsletters, please contact Kelsey Loeffler at
kloeffler@heatingthemidwest.org