Pellet Mill Monthly - March 5, 2013

Obama nominates Moniz as secretary of energy President Obama has nominated Ernie Moniz as Secretary of Energy. Moniz is a physics professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A nuclear physicist, Moniz has served as director of MIT's Energy Initiative. READ MORE SHARE
Obama nominates McCarthy to lead the EPA President Obama has nominated Gina McCarthy as U.S. EPA administrator. McCarthy currently serves as assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. If confirmed, she would replace former Administrator Lisa Jackson. READ MORE SHARE
	3 questions with Glenn Farris, marketing manager of AGCO Corp. Glenn Farris, marketing manager, biomass, at AGCO Corp. is a featured speaker in the "Walking the Sleeping Giant: Equipment and Approaches for Harvesting and Collecting Agricultural Biomass," panel at the 2103 International Biomass Conference & Expo. READ MORE SHARE
Beaver Wood Energy plans biomass hub in Vt. Beaver Wood Energy and Vermont Hydroponic Produce announced on Feb. 26 plans to build a new biomass hub in Fair Haven, Vt. The hub will consist of a biomass power plant, pellet manufacturing facility, and a 10-acre greenhouse complex. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: Biomass power generation increased in 2012 The U.S. Energy Information Administration has issued the February issue of its Electric Power Monthly report. In 2012, the U.S. produced 37.54 TWh of power from woody biomass, a 0.2 percent increase compared to production in 2011. READ MORE SHARE
N.M. bill would allow creation of RECs for biomass thermal energy Pending legislation in New Mexico would enable renewable energy certificates to be issued for the generation and use of thermal energy produced from renewable resources, with extra credits assigned to thermal energy generated from forest biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Australian energy plan calls for increased use of biomass The Australian Greens has published a new energy proposal calling for investment in clean energy infrastructure. The report describes scenarios for meeting Western Australia's electricity demand through efficiency,fuel switching and renewable energy. READ MORE SHARE
Drax to convert first unit to biomass in April Drax Group plc has released preliminary financial results for 2012, noting that its biomass transformation is well underway. According to company's report, its first unit will be converted to biomass in April, with a second unit converted in 2014. READ MORE SHARE
DEFRA releases biopower feedstock production statistics The U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently published experimental statistics on the quantity of land used to grow bioenergy feedstocks in the U.K.. READ MORE SHARE
FERC reports 6 new biomass power units came online in January The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects has released its Energy Infrastructure Update for January 2013, showing that six new biomass power units were brought online in January with a combined capacity of 6 MW. READ MORE SHARE
Bioenergy combined with CCS could enable carbon-negative energy Stanford University's Global Climate and Energy Project has released a report highlighting the potential to combine bioenergy production with carbon capture and storage techniques to enable carbon-negative energy production. READ MORE SHARE
Wash. state bill would extend tax exemptions for woody biomass Legislation pending in the Washington State Legislature aims to extend the existing sales and use tax exemption for wood waste and residue used to produce electricity, steam, heat or biofuel through June 30, 2024. READ MORE SHARE
Obama stresses importance of clean energy in State of the Union Energy and climate change were two areas of focus in President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Feb. 12. "Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy," he said. READ MORE SHARE
Obama stresses importance of clean energy in State of the Union Energy and climate change were two areas of focus in President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Feb. 12. "Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy," he said. READ MORE SHARE
USDA outlines climate change impacts on agriculture, forestry The USDA has released two reports that outline the impact of climate change on agriculture and forestry. The reports provide a framework for understanding how climate change could affect the ability to meet demands for food, feed, fiber and fuel. READ MORE SHARE
Construction begins on pellet-fueled cogeneration plant in France NEREA, a subsidiary of Akuo Energy, has begun construction of a 13 MW biomass cogeneration facility in Estrees-Mons, in the Somme department of France. SABEHF, a subsidiary of NEREA, will supply the facility with wood pellets. READ MORE SHARE
Georgia Southern University center opens pilot pellet mill Georgia Southern University's Herty Advanced Materials Development Center has opened the first fully-integrated pilot pellet mill in the U.S. The new production line, located in Savannah, Ga., includes a nearly $2 million investment in equipment. READ MORE SHARE
Scotland announces support levels for biomass Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has announced future support levels for biomass, which encourages smaller-scale combined-heat-and-power (CHP) generation and sways away from large-scale biomass combustion. READ MORE SHARE
Finalists chosen for Wood Stove Design Challenge Fourteen finalists have been chosen to compete in the Alliance for Green Heat's Wood Stove Design Challenge in November. The competition aims to develop more efficient wood stoves for homeowners and those in developing countries. READ MORE SHARE
UK publishes response to forestry report The U.K. Department for Environmental, Food & Rural Affairs has announced a new, independent public body will hold in trust the nation's publicly-owned forests. The announcement came as part of the government's response to a recent forestry report. READ MORE SHARE
Murkowski energy plan would gut the RFS Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, released an energy blueprint that calls for a wide variety of changes to U.S. energy policy, including drastic changes to the RFS. READ MORE SHARE