Pellet Mill Press - October 20, 2020

UK government to issue new biomass strategy in 2022 The U.K. government announced on Oct. 15 that it intends to publish a new biomass strategy in 2022. The U.K. Renewable Energy Association welcomed the announcement, stressing that bioenergy is essential to the renewables revolution. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: 1.8 million households to use wood as a primary heating fuel The EIA released its Winter Fuels Outlook and an updated Short-Term Energy Outlook on Oct. 6, reporting that approximately 1.8 million households will use cord wood or wood pellets as their primarily residential spacing heating fuel this winter. READ MORE SHARE
	US pellet exports top 585,883 metric tons in August The U.S. exported 585,883.3 metric tons of wood pellets in August, down from 643,727.5 metric tons in July and 738,303.23 metric tons in August 2019, according to data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service on Oct. 6. READ MORE SHARE
Bioenergy, biofuels account for nearly half of US renewables use Wood and waste energy accounted for nearly one-fourth of U.S. renewable energy use in 2019, while biofuels accounted for 20 percent of renewable energy consumption, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Oct. 19. READ MORE SHARE
Drax, Velocys help launch Coalition for Negative Emissions U.K.-based companies Drax Group and Velocys are among 11 organizations that have launched the Coalition for Negative Emissions, which aims to achieve a sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19 by developing carbon-negative technologies. READ MORE SHARE
USIPA welcomes resolution of European Forest Strategy The U.S. Industrial Pellet Association has welcomed the European Parliament’s resolution on the "European Forest Strategy—the Way Forward," which recognizes that the forest value chain is fundamental to the circular bioeconomy. READ MORE SHARE
UK bioenergy generation, capacity increase in Q2 Renewables accounted for a growing share of U.K. electricity generation during the second quarter of 2020. Generation from bioenergy was up nearly 10 percent during the period, according to data released by the U.K. government on Oct. 8. READ MORE SHARE
Senators urge EPA to promulgate rule on biogenic carbon emissions A group of 14 senators sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Oct. 12 urging the agency to promulgate a rulemaking that recognizes the de minimis character of biogenic carbon emissions from agricultural feedstocks. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: Densified biomass fuel sales reach 670,000 tons in June The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 730,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in June, with sales reaching 670,000 tons. READ MORE SHARE
Oral arguments held in challenge to EPA’s ACE rule Oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging U.S. EPA’s Affordable Clean Energy Program were held before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Oct. 8. One portion of the arguments focused on the program’s treatment of biomass co-firing. READ MORE SHARE