Pellet Mill Press - July 1, 2014

Supreme Court issues its decision on EPA's GHG Tailoring Rule On June 23, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision on the U.S. EPA's Tailoring Rule. It did not, however, address the uncertainty faced by those in the biomass industry with regard to the EPA's treatment of biogenic emissions. READ MORE SHARE
EPA opens 120-day comment period on Clean Power Plan The U.S. EPA published its proposed rule to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants in the Federal Register on June 18, officially opening a 120-day comment period. Comments will be accepted through Oct. 16. READ MORE SHARE
	N.Y. bill would incentivize cellulosic fuels, biomass pellets On June 19, the New York Assembly voted to pass a bill that aims to amend the state's tax law to provide tax credits for the production of cellulosic ethanol, densified biofuel and renewable fuel oil. READ MORE SHARE
County vote could pave the way for new Drax pellet plant in S.C. Drax Biomass, a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Drax Group plc, may elect to develop a new pellet plant in Abbeville County, South Carolina. The county recently passed an ordinance that would allow the company an option to purchase a tract of land. READ MORE SHARE
$15 million available for Advanced Biofuels Payment Program The USDA recently issued a notice of contract proposals for its Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, which provides payments to producers to support and expand production of advanced biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
USDA REAP sinks $3.4 billion into rural economies Though the USDA Rural Energy for America Program has been hugely successful since it was first implemented in the 2002 Farm Bill, numerous changes have been implemented over the years in order to maximize program value. READ MORE SHARE
GIB highlights achievements in annual report The U.K. Green Investment Bank recently released its 2013-'14 annual report and announced new funding to help small and medium enterprises make investments in energy efficiency, including biomass boilers. READ MORE SHARE
Changing Consumer Habits Pellet producers consider new strategies to avoid perceived shortages and level demand surges. READ MORE SHARE
Pellets Warm County Seats A century-old courthouse in western Maine's Oxford County transitions away from oil and toward pellet heat. READ MORE SHARE
The Beauty of Local Wood Heat The pace of change is really picking up when it comes to use and acceptance of wood pellets and chips for heat in the Northeast. READ MORE SHARE
Vega Biofuels lands large bio-coal order from European company Vega Biofuels Inc. has entered into an agreement with Austrian-based ECEM Salzburg Energy and Environment Consulting GmbH to sell 50,000 tons of bio-coal each year for the next five years. The deal will generate approximately $57 million in revenue. READ MORE SHARE
The Advance Of The Austrian Pellet Boilers Europeans describe the challenges of introducing technology to North America. READ MORE SHARE
Biomass: America's 21st Century Energy Solution The EPA draft rules on cutting carbon emissions rightly recognize that the world is changing and we need to find sustainable alternative energy. Biomass will have a strong role to play. READ MORE SHARE
RusForest announces long-term contract for pellet sales RusForest AB, a Swedish forestry company with operations in Russia, has signed a long-term contract for pellet sales from its pellet mill in Arkhangelsk. The contract is for 60,000 tons of pellets, a majority of the company's annual production. READ MORE SHARE
'State of Green' Embraces Pellet Power Denmark's district heat systems are expected to use 100 percent biomass by 2035. What is the prospect that Denmark will join the UK in turning to the United States to fill its growing demand for biomass-based power and heat? READ MORE SHARE
Pennsylvania offers funding for renewable energy projects The Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority is offering approximately $12.5 million in funding to support alternative and renewable energy projects in the state, including biomass, solar, wind and hydro projects. READ MORE SHARE
ND inventor reports heightened interest in BIONRG biocoal Norman Miller, an entrepreneur from Mapleton, N.D., calls himself the father of biocoal. Among his inventions is the Tri-Pack machine that combines coal and biomass with a proprietary additive into a biocoal that can be left as a powder or densified. READ MORE SHARE