Pellet Mill Monthly - October 2, 2012

San Geronimo Valley residents eligible for pellet stove rebates A program in California is offering residents of the San Geronimo Valley and Marin County rebates to remove and replace non-certified wood stoves with cleaner-burning equipment, such as U.S. EPA certified wood stoves or pellet stoves. READ MORE SHARE
OSU researchers find potential in "semi-dwarf" trees Oregon State University researchers have outlined the latest findings on reduced height growth in trees through genetic modification, concluding that several advantageous growth traits could be achieved for short-rotation forestry and bioenergy. READ MORE SHARE
	Lux Research: On-site power generation needs cost reductions On-site generation needs more than sustainability goals in order to expand from a niche play and grow into a large market. It needs better economics, with capital expenditure reductions being the most promising catalyst, according to Lux Research. READ MORE SHARE
Congress fails to pass farm bill before adjourning, clock ticking With Congress adjourned, fears that a 2012 farm bill wouldn't pass before the Sept. 30 deadline have now become a reality. Although there's no guarantee, lawmakers could still get it done after Election Day, commonly called the lame duck session. READ MORE SHARE
Presidential candidates respond to AFBF questionnaire During each presidential campaign, the American Farm Bureau Federation asks the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to address issues that concern the farming and ranching communities. Responses to this year's questions are now available. READ MORE SHARE
Enova Energy Group to build three pellet plants Enova Energy Group LLC a vertically integrated developer and asset owner of renewable energy projects, has announced that it will build three wood pellet projects in Georgia and South Carolina beginning in the first quarter of 2012. READ MORE SHARE
Congress dismisses Farm Bill despite mounting pressure With Sept. 21 being the final day of the last scheduled legislative session prior to the November election, all whom have stakes in the agriculture industry continue to pressure Congress to pass a new Farm Bill or an extension. READ MORE SHARE
Nova Scotia Power soliciting bids for biomass fuel, services Nova Scotia Power Inc. is soliciting bids from biomass suppliers to provide fuel and related services for its 60 MW biomass plant, which is expected to be operational in the spring of 2013. The facility requires about 500,000 tons of fuel annually. READ MORE SHARE
General Biofuels to construct pellet plant in Ga. Gov. Nathan Deal announced today that General Biofuels Georgia LLC will construct a wood pellet manufacturing plant in Sandersville investing $60 million. The plant will manufacture industrial-grade wood pellets for sale to a European utility. READ MORE SHARE
Murkowski biomass amendment passed by Senate committee Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., recently announced that a biomass-related amendment she submitted for inclusion in the Tribal Energy Bill, S. 1684, was passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Sept. 13. READ MORE SHARE
Biomass conversion of Atikokan plant commences The Ontario Ministry of Energy recently announced that Ontario Power Generation's Atikokan Generating Station has burned its last piece of coal, and that conversion to biomass power is now underway. The facility is expected to be operational in 2014. READ MORE SHARE
Research aims to introduce drought tolerance into woody biomass Putting the water-use-efficient and turbo-charged photosynthesis from plants such as agave into woody biomass plants such as poplar can hedge against predicted long-term increases in temperatures and reduced precipitation. READ MORE SHARE
Northern Ireland opens funding program for biomass heat, power Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is reopening the EU co-financed Biomass Processing Challenge Fund, which can contribute up to 40 percent of the cost of an eligible project, up to a $515,000 per project. READ MORE SHARE
GCube secures more biomass construction underwriting capacity GCube Insurance Services Inc., a renewable energy insurance provider, has secured $175 million in additional construction underwriting capacity to assist the development and evolution of the international biomass and geothermal energy markets. READ MORE SHARE
Conservation biomass demonstration shows potential A demonstration project completed by The Earth Partners LP, Applied Ecological Services and Poet LLC has shown that biomass from native grasses, grown for conservation purposes, can successfully fuel a boiler to create heat and power. READ MORE SHARE
Biomass may benefit from Obama's industrial CHP Executive Order In conjunction with the release of a U.S. DOE report on the U.S. combined-heat-and-power (CHP) industry, President Obama has made an Executive Order to facilitate investments in energy efficiency at industrial facilities, focusing on expanding CHP. READ MORE SHARE
WPAC report addresses dust explosion, fire mitigation A new Wood Pellet Association of Canada report addresses dust management in pellet plants. The report, titled "Determination of Explosibility of Dust Layers in Pellet Manufacturing Plants," was written by WPAC Research Director Staffan Melin. READ MORE SHARE