Industrial Thermal Energy & District Heating

February 23, 2021

Senate confirms Vilsack as ag secretary

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsTom Vilsack is once again leading the USDA. The Senate on Feb. 23 voted 92 to seven to confirm him as secretary of agriculture. Vilsack, a former two-term governor of Iowa, served as ag secretary during all eight years of the Obama administration. READ MORE

February 18, 2021

Agreement signed for Illinois RNG project

BY Will County, Illinois Found In:Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced FuelsOn Feb. 10, Will County, Illinois, officials and its construction trade partners signed a project labor agreement (PLA) for the $45 million renewable natural gas (RNG) plant approved for construction at the county-owned Prairie View landfill. READ MORE

February 17, 2021

McKinley, Veasey reintroduce ACCESS 45Q Act

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsReps. David McKinley, R-W.V., and Marc Veasey, D-Texas, on Feb. 16 reintroduced the ACCESS 45Q Act. The bill extends the date for projects to begin construction to claim the 45Q tax credit by 10 years and provides a direct pay elective. READ MORE

February 16, 2021

USask researchers build a better biomass pellet

BY Greg Basky, USask research profile and impact Found In:Pellets, Power, ThermalA recent discovery by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) could help hasten use of cheap and plentiful agricultural waste as the go-to material for producing biobased fuel pellets used for power generation and home heating. READ MORE

February 16, 2021

Waste Knot Energy strikes pellet supply deal with Komercon

BY Waste Knot Energy Found In:Pellets, Power, ThermalWaste Knot Energy has negotiated a strategic partnership agreement with international supply management company Komercon. Under the agreement, Waste Knot will supply 3.6 million metric tons of pellets to Komercon over the next five years. READ MORE

February 15, 2021

USDA solicits REAP applications

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced FuelsUSDA Rural Development has announced it is now accepting applications for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements through the Rural Energy for America Program. Applications must be submitted by March 31. READ MORE

February 10, 2021

EIA updates short-term bioenergy forecasts

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, BiogasThe U.S. Energy Information Administration released the latest edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Feb. 9, predicting electricity generation from renewable sources will reach 21 percent this year, up from 20 percent in 2020. READ MORE

February 07, 2021

Opinion: Guidance on the Tax Credit for High-Efficiency Wood Heaters

BY John AckerlyFound In:Pellets, ThermalAt the end of 2020, Congress passed an omnibus relief package that included numerous provisions on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Among those was the inclusion of biomass heaters in section 25(D) of the IRS tax code. READ MORE

February 06, 2021

Opinion: Hard Work Pays Off

BY BIll BellFound In:Pellets, ThermalLate last year, the Maine Public Utilities Commission rejected attempts to add heat pumps to the state thermal renewable energy credit program and adopted all of our industry’s recommendations. READ MORE