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Nine Leading Biomass Companies Form Biomass Thermal Energy Council

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 10:17 CDT

New trade association will promote biomass heating

WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A group of nine leading biomass companies has formed the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC), a non-profit association dedicated to advancing the use of biomass for heat and other thermal energy applications. The founding members of BTEC include biomass fuel producers, appliance manufacturers and distributors, and supply chain companies that represent the breadth of interests in the fast growing biomass thermal energy industry.

"The use of biomass for thermal energy is the most responsible and efficient use of this renewable resource," said Board Chairman Charlie Niebling. "There is enormous potential for wood pellets, wood chips, energy crops, agricultural residues and other forms of biomass to help meet America's thermal energy needs."

The initial founding members of the Biomass Thermal Energy Council are: Bear Mountain Forest Products, BioHeatUSA, Energex Corporation, Forest Energy Corporation, International WoodFuels, Marth, New England Wood Pellet, PelletSales.com, and Woodstone.

Thermal energy accounts for roughly one-third of the energy used today in the United States. Renewable biomass resources can help meet this demand for thermal energy by providing heat for industrial processes as well as heating for businesses and homes. Today's thermal uses of biomass include providing heat for processing foods like milk and yogurt, heating universities and commercial facilities, heating neighborhoods through a district heating grid, and supplying over 1 million homes with heat from pellet appliances that would have otherwise been generated by non-renewable fuels like heating oil or natural gas.

"Thermal energy from biomass has enormous growth potential," said Jeffrey Serfass, Executive Director of BTEC. "We see tremendous opportunity in regions that depend heavily on fossil fuels for heating and combined heat and power. Biomass thermal energy can replace those non-renewable fuels while reducing the demand for imported fuels and reducing greenhouse gases. As such, the use of biomass for heating should be an important component of the Obama Administration's new energy policy."

BTEC has begun extensive activities to promote the use of biomass thermal energy in federal, state and regional policy discussions concerning renewable energy and the broader energy landscape. Through its education and outreach activities, BTEC seeks to enhance the understanding of the technologies used today and those under development. To learn more about BTEC, visit www.biomassthermal.org or contact Kyle Gibeault (202-596-3974 x 327 or kyle.gibeault@biomassthermal.org).

About the Biomass Thermal Energy Council

The Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing the use of biomass for heat and other thermal energy applications. BTEC is an association of biomass fuel producers, appliance manufacturers and distributors, supply chain companies and non-profit organizations that view biomass thermal energy as a renewable, responsible, clean and energy-efficient pathway to meeting America's energy needs. BTEC engages in research, education, and public advocacy for the fast growing biomass thermal energy industry. www.biomassthermal.org

SOURCE Biomass Thermal Energy Council

Source: PR Newswire

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