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In Case You Missed it
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Top stories in past issues:
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Office Equipment Needed
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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 credit. Contact: [email protected]
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EPA Proposed New Heater Regulations
Draft of Summary NSPS Comments from AGH AGH - The Alliance is publicly sharing a draft of its summary NSPS comments and welcomes any feedback as we finalize them.  In response to a lawsuit from 7 states and 5 groups, the EPA agreed to a Consent Decree that it would publish the final NSPS regulations by Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015.
5 Reasons the NSPS is Good for Industry and Consumers AGH - The next time you hear doom and gloom about the EPA's regulations, think about the coming innovation that will help stoves reclaim their rightful place in the renewable energy mix and keep our stoves among the best and cleanest in the world. Action: Sign the Petition for Clean and Efficient Stoves  AGH - Please sign a petition supporting the EPA's efforts to get stoves and boilers cleaner and more efficient. We think the NSPS needs lots of changes, but we believe the EPA is on the right track and so do thousands of others around the country. We are nearly up to 5,000 signatures which will be forwarded to the EPA as formal NSPS comments on Monday, May 5. Please sign! Why Governor LePage is Against Stove Regulations AGH - Maine Governor LePage has become a champion of the non-catalytic stove industry, which wants a less stringent emission standard for their stoves. Maine company Jotul suggests 1.3 gram standard for cat stoves and 4.1 for non-cats.
A constituent responds to Rep Reed for using scare tactics and misrepresenting facts in his position on the NSPS. Won't more efficient stoves save consumers money?
Key NSPS Links: |
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Alliance for Green Heat Activities
 AGH - On April 8, the EPA posted efficiencies for outdoor wood and pellet boilers, also known as hydronic heaters. Efficiencies ranged from 39% to 78% as measured using higher heating values.
The Alliance worked with a coalition of groups, including the Alliance to Save Energy, ACEEE, Energy First, EDF, EESI and NRDC in a successful Senate bid to extend the 10% tax credit for wood stoves.
Roger Lehet, who competed in the Wood Stove Decathlon, was initially distraught with the prospect of meeting 1.3 grams an hour, but he went back to drawing boards and in relatively short time now says he is getting emission numbers as low as 0.7 and 0.3.
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Washington Watch
Increase in Wood as Main Source of Household Heating
 Energy Information Agency - Wood heat has gained popularity in much of the country in recent years, but the increase is most notable in the Northeast. All nine states in the Northeast saw at least a 50% jump from 2005 to 2012.
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Most Liked Stories on Facebook
"Like" the Alliance for Green Heat page on Facebook to get breaking news and analysis from a consumer perspective. Most liked posts in March:
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Firewood News
Cutting the price of firewood at campgrounds could help curb the spread of invasive insects, a new Canadian study says. Researchers in Ontario polled campers and discovered the main reason they bring firewood from home is the cost.
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Pellet News
A new white paper from FutureMetrics analyzes the number of rural households and the availability of sustainable forestry resources. Using pellets will lower consumer heat and hot water bills, keep the money in the local economy and create jobs.
Study Touts Wood Pellets for Energy
Using wood pellets for fuel in southwestern Wisconsin could save millions of dollars a year in energy costs, slash carbon dioxide emissions and create at least 80 jobs, according to a study.
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From the Newsroom
States
Michigan DNR Now Issuing Fuelwood Permits
MI: These permits should be issued early in year so wood has time to season. In Michigan, its even better as permits only cover downed and dead wood.
MD: Team Mulciber, engineering students from the University of Maryland, was highlighted in the March 2014 issue of Popular Mechanics for its wood stove with emissions described by the magazine as "so low, they were almost unmeasurable."
MO: U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill sent a letter to Gina McCarthy asking the agency to work with small independent manufactures to craft affordable, achievable heating rules for rural families as it implements its new emission standards for wood-burning stoves.
Wood Stove Program Still Helping Seely Lake Air Quality
MT: Here air quality is improving in Seeley Lake in part due to the wood stove change out program, which started back in 2012.
NY: Recently published "Financing Fresh Air" is a report on the harm done to the city's air pollution by a number of residential oil boilers that still burn the lowest quality fossil fuels.
NY: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated Earth Day by proposing regulations - including a ban on new wood-burning fireplaces.
OR: Beginning May 1, the Siuslaw National Forest will make a change to firewood tags issued with personal use firewood permits.
PA: The Allegheny County Health Department will offer cash incentives to county residents who turn in woodstoves and outdoor wood-fired boilers that do not meet national emission standards.
Biomass Battle: EPA in Crossfire
SC: The question isn't whether the wood-burning power plants pollute. They do. The question is whether they are the lesser of two evils.
Noem, Thune Push EPA to Change Stove Requirements
SD: Wood stoves have ignited a debate with South Dakota lawmakers who oppose new regulations that would require more efficiency from an iconic feature of many rural homes.
WY: Rural state leaders are being mobilized by the hearth industry to oppose regulations by the EPA to reduce emissions and increase efficiency from wood stoves.
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Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
Cody, Wyoming, June 1-4, 2014 Plus, visit to the Buffalo Bill museum and attend a stove auction. MAHPBA 2014 Annual Meeting King of Prussia, PA, June 2-3 After a successful meeting last year, the meeting will be held in the same location. Rochester, Minnesota, June 3-5, 2014 The topic is: "Forest Utilization and Management: From Working Woodlands to City Streets".
Lake Placid, NY, June 4-6, 2014
Planning Team is currently requesting abstracts for presentations. Rockville, MD, June 10-11, 2014
Home performance professionals from the Chesapeake region will convene for two days of education, networking, and a trade show. Washington DC, July 14-15, 2014
The EIA Energy Conference has become a premier forum for addressing energy issues in the U.S. and worldwide. Orlando, FL, July 27-29, 2014
PFI is pleased to announce that the 2014 Annual Conference will be held at the Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate in Orlando, FL. Washington DC, July 29-30, 2014
The annual DOE conference brings together top government officials, members of Congress and industry to focus mostly on biofuels.
Missoula, MT, August 7-8, 2014
Save the date for this wood smoke specialty conference. Various Locations, Vermont June 19-21
Forest Guild National Meeting makes a long-awaited return to New England. Join colleagues and friends in this three-day gathering.Burlington, VT, October 16-17
This event highlights current energy challenges, Vermont's leadership role in the energy industry, and moving towards an integrated energy infrastructure.
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