July 2011
Green Heat NewsAGH logo
Issue No. 24
In This Issue
From the Newsroom
Upcoming Conferences and Webinars

Quick Links

Current Wood Heat Incentive Programs 


Residential Bulk-Fed Pellet Boilers Rebate Program: 

New Hampshire

click here

Wood Stove Changeout 

Dane County, WI  

 click here

Wood Stove Replacement Program

Placer County, CA  

 click here

Certified Stove Replacement Tax Deduction 

Idaho

 click here 

 

An Alliance for Green Heat Study of these and other incentive program is funded in part by the

Forest Service's Wood Education Resource Center:

WERC logo

Verse of the Month

 When gathering firewood, don't forget to let is season before burning it. More importantly, don't lose track of your stack, as the subject of this poem did:

"...I thought that only someone who lived in turning to fresh tasks; could so forget his handiwork on which; He spent himself, the labour of his axe; And leave it there far from a useful fireplace; To warm the frozen swamp as best it could; With the slow smokeless burning of decay"

-Robert Frost, The Wood-Pile


Win-A-Ton

 Do you heat your home with wood pellets? Click here to complete a brief survey and to be entered for a chance to win a ton of pellets from New England Wood Pellets

Comics

 


Research Fellowship
The Alliance has an opening for a Fall Research Fellow. This Fellowship will provide an excellent opportunity to promote renewable energy and delve into policy research.  We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Come join a small team of advocates who believe in the clean and efficient use of biomass for heating homes and businesses. For more information, click here
Office Equipment Needed

Have a printer, scanner or computer that is still relatively up to date and in good working order that you don't need? Donate it to the Alliance for Green Heat and get a tax deduction. Contact:

 [email protected] 

Join Our Mailing List

And stay up to date with all things wood heat. To sign up,

click here 

Dear friends,  

 

In Europe and the United States, the real driver behind increased use
of biomass for heat is residential consumers. Wood and pellet heat
excels at providing low carbon, low cost heat for ordinary consumers -
and 10% of American homes. This is the focus of "Scaling Up
Residential Biomass Heating: A Stakeholder Symposium," next week in
Washington and a webinar the following week. Both events are free and
open to the public, and registration details are below. We hope you
can join us and help shape the debate around America's most common and cost-effective renewable energy technology: the wood and pellet stove. 

 

The Team at Green Heat

Alliance for Green Heat Projects & Activities

 

Washington Wood Heat Symposium Set for This Month

  

The Alliance for Green Heat will host a stakeholder symposium on July 13th at the US Forest Service in Washington, DC. The purpose of the symposium is to bring together non-profits, industry, government, and forest and air quality experts to explore how America can maximize the renewable energy potential of wood and pellet heat, while minimizing it's drawbacks. This event is free and open to the public, however registration is required to be admitted into the building. Click here to register   

 

The symposium will also launch a AGH report on wood heat incentives entitled "Transforming Wood Heat in America: A Toolkit of Policy Options".  For more information on this event or to request a copy of the report, please email [email protected]  

 

Alliance for Green Heat Webinar

The Alliance is co-hosting a webinar with BTEC on the future of residential wood & pellet heat in America. The discussion will center around wood heat policy options for federal and state officials. Presenters include: Rachel Sakata- OR DEQ, Charlie Niebling- BTEC, Jon Strimling- American Biomass and John Ackerly- AGH. For more 

 

Commentary: Innovative Hydronic Heater Bill Stalls   

Rhode Island residents and legislators have some innovative ways to combat the residential hydronic boilers that are often highly polluting. H5783 required anyone selling or renting property with a traditional hydronic heater to remove it. For more

 

Free Local Harvesting Programs Cropping Up   

Free harvesting of wood is at the core of what many people love about wood heat. Each year community organizations like United Way, the Lion's Club, and many others take part in various annual 'firewood programs' that seek to harvest local wood resources for the benefit of the community. Volunteers help to cut and split wood to be donated to low-income households or auctioned off to raise funds for local causes.

 

In the meantime, similar programs for harvesting local fruit are cropping up around the country, serving as good models for future firewood programs. Through programs such as the Philadelphia Orchard Project and Salem Harvest, non-profits are connecting low-income families to local sources of food. These programs feature interactive maps, scheduled events, and a wealth of community support.

 

Washington Watch   

 

The Case for Woody Biomass

What's green, grows on trees, creates jobs and supports healthier forests in rural America? Oregon Representative, Greg Walden makes the case for woody biomass. For more

Merkley Introduces Legislation To Reduce Oil Use
 

Recently,  Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley joined with three other senators to introduce the Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2011. It includes a state-based program to provide financing assistance to replace a fossil fuel boiler or furnace with a biomass one. For more

 
From the Newsroom

International

 

Millions of Tonnes of Wood Being Wasted Every Year

UK: At least two million tonnes of unused woodfuel supplies a year could be used to heat rural schools, businesses and other buildings, the Forestry Commission says. For more

  

State

 

Spare the Stove: Governor Should Allow the State to Help Clear the Air 

AK: Maintaining funding for wood stove incentives would help to meet emission reduction mandates, while offsetting residential energy costs. Update: The governor did allow these funds.  For more 

 

Colorado to Sell Beetle Killed Trees for Firewood

CO: Forest officials will get rid of beetle killed trees by selling them for $10 a cord. For more 

 

What to do About Smokey Wood Boilers 

ME: The American Lung Association and the Democrat who sponsored a bill to review wood smoke laws are pushing back against a recent veto from the Governor.For more

 

Bringing Pellet Heat to the Mainstream 

NH: Through stimulus funds, New Hampshire is offering up to $6,000 to residents purchasing a pellet heating system. Charlie Niebling answers questions about this unique program.  For more

 

Biomass: Sustainable, but "Never Carbon Neutral" 

VT: Recently, Vermonters have begun to think about forests in a new way: As renewable energy from wastewood products that can heat homes, campuses, and more. How much of the region can-or should be-harvested? For more  

 

Comments Welcomed on Comprehensive Plan

VT: State officials are currently accepting comments as they work to revise the state's Comprehensive Energy Plan. Comments about how to most efficiently use biomass can be sent to Commissioner Elizabeth Miller (or via email by clicking here) by July 15. For more

 

Vermont Capital Residents OK Wood-Heating System

VT: Montpelier is going ahead with plans to expand state government's wood-fired district heating system into city schools and government buildings. For more

 

Upcoming Conferences and Webinars 
Alliance for Green Heat Wood Heat Symposium
    
Washington DC, July 13 

This symposium brings together non-profits, industry, government, and forest and air quality experts to explore how America can maximize the renewable energy potential of wood and pellet heating, while minimizing the drawbacks. The Symposium is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. For more  

 

Alliance for Green Heat Wood Heat Webinar
Washington DC, July 19

Register for the webinar, "The Future of Residential Wood & Pellet Heat in America," on Tuesday July 19 at 2PM EST, and learn how federal and state governments can prepare for an increased use of wood heat and hear from experts as they identify the barriers to rapid growth of this technology. For more 

 

Pellet Fuels Institute Annual Conference

Ponte Verde, FL July 24-26

This year's conference will feature an optional educational component devoted entirely to the PFI Standards Program. Preliminary conference agenda is also availableFor more

  

Biomass 2011: The New Horizons of Biomass

July 26-27, 2011

The conference is hosted by the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and will focus on topics surrounding the use of biomass as a replacement petroleum and bioenergy technologies. For more

 

Maryland Clean Energy Summit 2011 

Bethesda, MD August 25-27

Be part of the clean energy discussion at this annual event.   From 10 - 10:30 Saturday the 27th, there will be a consumer workshop on wood and pellet heating. For more 

 

Biomass Boiler Workshops

Sacramento, CA September 22-23

Jansen Boilers is sponsoring a free workshop which will consist of presentations about new technological developments and results to improve the operating performance, waste fuel burning capacity, efficiency, and fuel economy of biomass-fired boilers. For more

 

EPA Combined Heat and Power Partnership Meeting

Washington DC, October 5

The EPA will hold a CHP Partnership National Meeting, presented in coordination with the Clean Heat and Power Association. For more

 

Northeast Biomass Conference and Trade Show

Pittsburgh, PA October 11-13

This conference is meant to be a dynamic regional offshoot of the International Biomass Conference and Expo. For more

 

 

 
Please Support Our Work







Thanks Too...
The Alliance for Green Heat is an independent non-profit organization working to promote cleaner and more efficient biomass heating. Please consider making a generous contribution. The Alliance is a tax exempt 501 (c)(3) organization.

Alliance for Green Heat is funded in part through a grant by the Wood Education and Resource Center, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, U.S. Forest Service. AGH is an equal opportunity provider.

You can make a secure donation online through paypal here:

www.forgreenheat.org/support/donate

A special thanks to those who have contributed $2,000 or more between June 2009 and February 2011
-- Wood Education Research Center (USDA Forest Service)
-- Dr. William & Francis Ackerly
-- American Biomass
-- Arbolito Foundation
-- Family Alliance Foundation
-- Osprey Foundation
-- Ramsay Merriam Fund
-- Takoma Foundation

Become a Green Heat Founding Member: Make your donation here  

 

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