April 2016 Newsletter

A Message from Heating the Midwest Executive Committee
On behalf of the Heating the Midwest Steering Committee and the 2016 HTM Annual Conference Planning Committee, we are excited to announce the registration site will soon be going live! Volunteers have been hard at work and we thank them for their time, contributions and commitment thus far.  It’s all paying off with an exciting program taking shape. Please watch for future notifications on the program details and registration information. We anticipate a great event and hope you are all clearing your schedules to attend. Your support and presence matters and is needed!  If you have any additional questions or would like further information regarding the 2016 HTM Annual Conference, please contact Tami Dahm at tdahm@auri.org.
– HTM Executive Committee
HTM 5th Conference & Expo (Fall 2016) – Opportunity to Get Involved!
Are you interested in getting more involved in biomass thermal energy? The 5th Annual Heating the Midwest Conference & Expo will be held October 1113, 2016near Escanaba, MI, and planning is underway!
We welcome your insight and energy to make next year’s event the best yet! We are holding monthly meetings, and have subcommittees established. For more information on how you can get involved in the planning committee or a subcommittee, please contact the respective chair noted below for your area of interest:

Cutting junipers to save water, grasslands, minimize fire danger … and make money
VECOPLAN MIDWEST
       Introduces CPP,
Containerized Pellet Plant
Business Briefs – People, Products & Partnerships
Register Today for an Amazing Opportunity!
Register for a 10 Week Hydronic-Based Biomass Heating Systems Course.
Have Biomass Project Ideas for SWET?
Michigan Statewide Wood Energy Team
Minnesota 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, Policy & Benefits, and Biomass Resources & Demographics. Is your time often stretched? No problem. Time committed to the HTM effort is volunteer time. The teams meet 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.  The work of each 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. Following is a list of the schedule for the action team calls:
Biomass Combustion Technologies Action Team
Meets first Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. CST
Policy & Benefits Action Team
Meets second Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. CST
Biomass Resources & Demographics Action Team
Meets third Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. CST
For more detailed information on the Biomass Combustion Technologies or Policy & Benefits Action Teams, please contact Nan Larson at nlarson@auri.org or via phone at: (507) 537-6020. And for details pertaining to the Biomass Resources & Demographics Action Team, please contact Becky Philipp at bphilipp@auri.org or via phone at (218) 280-8575.
Call for Your Midwest Biomass Stories and Events for May 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 tdahm@auri.org.  And, if you’d like to be on the list to receive upcoming newsletters, please contact Tami Dahm at tdahm@auri.org.