18 March 2020
This was just sent out from HPBA:
The health and safety of HPBExpo attendees and exhibitors are of primary importance to us every year, and more so this year. We have been continuously monitoring the COVID-19 situation before, during and since HPBExpo in New Orleans.
We recently learned that there are presumptive cases of COVID-19 involving two members of an HPBExpo exhibitor's staff who were present at the Expo. Out of an abundance of caution, we want to share this information with you so you can take necessary steps to monitor your health and well-being.
We currently do not know whether these individuals had symptoms at the Expo or whether they attended during the COVID-19 incubation period. We are in contact with the relevant health authorities to provide them with this information and to obtain further guidance.
These are challenging and unprecedented times for our community. HPBA will continue to share updated information at HPBExpo.com, we encourage you to check this link for any updates. Our thoughts are with those affected and we wish them a full recovery.
If you have flu-like symptoms, reach out to your medical provider for advice on next steps. Please refer to the following CDC recommendations [mmsend34.com] for protecting yourself and others.
17 March 2020
HPBA is aware of the impact of COVID-19 closures on retailers, especially those who may still have Step 1 products in stock. As businesses limit operating hours, HPBA will be reaching out to Congress to urge relief due to these exceptional circumstances. It may be possible to get additional time for product sell-through, but we need your immediate help in order to do so.
What You Need to Do
Send an email to Rachel Feinstein (Feinstein@hpba.org) by 3:00 pm EDT Thursday, March 19 with the following information:
Unless and until any extension is passed, the legal deadline remains May 15, 2020. If you have any question, feel free to contact Northeast HPBA or HPBA.
14 February 2020
John Crouch, HPBA Government Affairs, sent me this article and I found it interesting. It's long, but I've highlighted the sections that I found the most pertinent and interesting. Can common sense prevail? We'll see....
Washington — State regulators were served a strong dose of skepticism Sunday about municipal bans on natural gas hookups in new buildings from parties concerned about the consumer costs and the wisdom of setting key energy policies outside the state utility regulation construct.
Depending on how widespread it becomes, the wave of bans, as well as other incentives for building electrification, could have broad implications for the residential fuel mix and the future of gas distribution infrastructure and demand.
"My experience has been that the city councils aren't necessarily the source of balanced information, just and reasonable cost estimates, all the things that are part of the utility regulatory framework that makes determinations on the capital infrastructure investments," said Timothy Simon, a former California Public Utility Commission member.
Simon, who currently represents several local distribution companies, was among panelists urging caution about the bans during a staff gas subcommittee meeting at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners winter policy summit.
While residential energy use makes up only 7% of California's carbon dioxide emissions, "it's gaining the ire and the attack of city councils across my great state," he said. The "real culprit" in his view is transportation, which makes up 41% of CO2 emissions and is concentrated around big rig diesel trucks. Those trucks "generally don't run through Bel Air and Beverly Hills, he said. "They generally are running by black and brown communities that are in industrial sections near ports of entry and other areas."
Beginning with a ban in Berkeley, California, municipal gas bans have spread through California and appeared in the Boston area and Washington state.
AARP VIEW
Bill Malcolm, senior legislative representative from AARP, said that while his group does not favor one type of fuel over another, it has raised questions in several states about rate impacts for low and moderate income residents.
"I just checked the numbers and natural gas is now at $1.85/MMBtu, and just to put that in perspective, in 2012 it was actually $12/MMBtu," he said. "So where is the new power for the new load going to come from?" he said.
In Connecticut, for instance, AARP filed comments questioning whether incentives to install electric heat pumps over gas furnaces would benefit ratepayers and whether it would drive up peak power demand, he noted.
PUC ROLE
What role state regulators will play in the debate is "the multi-billion question that will most likely be settled by the courts," said Andreas Thanos, a Massachusetts regulator who chairs the NARUC gas staff subcommittee, when reached by email.
While PUCs grant the franchise allowing an LDC to go into a town or city, municipalities are using their bylaws to implement the bans. "So the PUCs will most likely not weigh in on the issue until the courts decide," he said.
Dianne Solomon, a New Jersey Board of Public Utilities commissioner, said she also sees a movement by states to empower their departments of environmental protection to "get into this space, take it out of the hands of the utility regulators and suggest that all projects going forward would have to have some environmental impact."
Several state regulators suggested green groups have had the more effective messaging thus far.
"I have heard a lot from the environmental advocates, Sierra Club and what have you, saying why we should have the natural gas bans," said Greer Gillis, a member of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, adding it was important to get the views aired in the room out into the mainstream.
Judith Schwartz, a former utility commissioner from Palo Alto, where a municipal "reach code" encouraging all electric construction was adopted, contended "while the intentions are good, the reality of what [gas bans] are doing is minimal." During the winter "you have natural gas and imports making up the shortfall of every single hour of the day," she said.
Still, speaking from the audience, David Kolata with the Citizens Utility Board of Illinois, said he believed the issue was more complicated than the dialogue Sunday suggested.
"It's pretty clear that in every blue state, we're going to need to deliver a plan" that keeps the increase in temperatures due to climate change under 2 degrees Celsius, he said, with the modeling showing the need to decarbonize electricity, heating and transportation.
"Given that, how do we think about this from a consumer advocate point of view, where money spent on natural gas right now and natural gas infrastructure could very well be stranded?" he said.
spglobal.com
5 February 2020
We are seeing an increasing number of jurisdictions seriously talking about converting their communities to all-electric homes. These efforts are failing to consider key issues.
1. Many communities reference solar energy as a viable option for homes without discussing the challenges. Solar electricity generation is great during the day, but without widespread electrical storage, taking advantage of that electricity is difficult. We don’t often see mention of the associated cost of not just the solar panels, but also necessary electrical storage.
There must be a discussion about the demand curve of electricity. This curve shows the modest demand for electricity in the day (people getting ready in the morning), the demand drop-off during the middle of the day (people are away from home, but solar is plentiful, weather permitting), and then the steep ramp-up in electricity demand in the evening (people return home, preparing meals, heating homes, etc.). The fluctuations of the demand curve will become steeper with a higher demand for electricity brought on by all-electric homes. Storage options will help mitigate this demand, but they are expensive, and history has shown that most people who opt for solar do not add storage, usually due to high costs.
Solar will be limited in its practicality depending on location and climate. In sunnier areas with clear lines of sight, solar is a good option for supplementing energy. In snow country, poor weather, or limited visibility (trees, nearby buildings, etc.), solar does not produce at optimal levels, if at all.
2. Electricity is not known for its resiliency during winter storms or other emergency situations. Without storage, if the power goes out, you have no power to heat, cook, or bathe if you depend on grid electricity, which the vast majority of consumers do. With natural gas or propane, you have much better resiliency for an energy source. Even if the gas-burning central furnace won’t run during a power outage because it relies on electricity to run the fan, your gas fireplaces, gas stovetops, and gas hot water heaters all continue to operate.
3. Related to the last point, we must think about the expected increased electrical rate costs. If everyone moves to a single fuel source, the demand is higher, which in-turn will very likely increase the cost. The electricity generated during the day via solar has minor value, as electricity is not in demand then. With most utilities having moved, or moving, to a Time Of Use (TOU) billing model for electricity, the highest energy in demand (during the evening) will also be the most expensive.
4. One of the primary reasons to move to all-electric homes is to lower carbon dioxide emissions. However, unless the electricity is coming directly from a renewable resource (solar panels, wind, hydro, etc.), it will be coming from a central power plant. Central power plants have very low efficiency rates – far lower than most residential furnaces or room heaters. On average, the highest efficiency rate for a natural gas-burning power plant is about 43%, with coal, oil, and nuclear efficiencies being even lower (31-33%)1. When you consider that residential gas-burning furnaces operate at a minimum of 80-82% efficiency, and then only as needed, it’s clear that fewer emissions are created from homes heated with natural gas than all-electric homes which draw from central power plants.
There is a bias evident in this effort to promote electrification. We’ve seen articles that say that 45% of carbon dioxide emissions are from electricity and heat in Canada, but if you look closer at the data, we find that only 6% is from homes using natural gas. The rest is from industrial, manufacturing, municipal and commercial. These sources will certainly be affected by changing to electrification, but the impact will be seen and felt differently. Focusing on converting homes to all-electric is an expensive proposition for the homeowner and not necessarily the best choice for the environment.
Studies show that electrification will cause price increases. It could be the increased cost to buy a new home due to new technologies will drive even more people out of the homebuyer market with five-figure increases. But electrification will also raise the cost for an average household by between $750 and $910 per year, just based on normal use of electricity from the grid.
Consumers deserve to be able to make their own decisions on how they heat their homes and cook their meals. Electrification not only removes that consumer choice, but also could shut the door to new and promising technological advances like renewable natural gas.
It’s time for everyone to understand the full cost of electrification.
For more information, contact NEHPBA.
HPBA
23 January 2020
Here is an update on Net Zero/Gas Ban Events around New England and New York. Is Northeast HPBA missing anything? Is there anything we don't know about that is happening in your area that we need to know? Contact us!
There are 240 towns out of 311 towns in MA considering this stretch code.
Right now NEHPBA is Networking with: Plumbers Union, VP of Government Affairs and VP of Communications with National Grid, Community Relations Specialist at Eversource, Director at Eversource, President of the Union for Eversource, New England Gas Workers Alliance, PROGANE (Propane Gas of New England), Regional AGA affiliate, Massachusetts Chimney Sweeps, BBRS, numerous building inspectors in MA, NAIOP, National Grid in RI.
If there are any introductions you can make in your area, no matter how big or small, please introduce me via email or phone. Contact NEHPBA with any questions. Like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date!
Image: Sen Markey Green New Deal Town Hall
20 December 2019
What products qualify?
9 December 2019
Northeast HPBA is offering NFI courses and exams in January, 2020 in New Hampshire. Gas, Core and Hearth Design Specialists classes and exams will be offered on January 21 and 22 at Northeast Distribution in Exeter, NH for members and non-members. Sign up and find more information at nficertified.org!
21 November 2019
Fossil fuels are out following the second night of Brookline’s special Town Meeting.
Town Meeting members passed Article 21, which will prohibit the use of fossil fuel infrastructure in new construction and significant renovations in town.
“This warrant article is not the whole answer, but it represents a start” in reaching Brookline’s stated 2050 carbon neutral goal, said Town Meeting member Cornelia van der Ziel.
“When you’re in a hole, the first thing is to stop digging,” State Rep. Tommy Vitolo said; this warrant article takes away the shovel, he added.
The bylaw passed overwhelmingly, with 210 votes in favor.
“This is a historic day for the community of Brookline and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” TMM, architect and article co-sponsor Lisa Cunningham said in a Mothers Out Front press release following the vote.
She added, “I hope this demonstrates to parents and citizens across the country that they also have the power to move their communities to a clean energy future.”
The bylaw does include some exemptions, allowing fossil fuel infrastructure needed for backup generators, restaurant kitchens and medical offices, among other uses.
The action was urgently needed, co-petitioner and architect Kathleen Scanlon said in the same Mothers Out Front press release.
“We cannot install new gas infrastructure that will last 30 years, past the time that we have committed to achieving zero emissions,” Scanlon said. “This decision will move us away from new oil and gas infrastructure when it’s convenient and possible to do so. It’s a step in the right direction for Brookline and for our climate.”
Town Meeting picks up again on Thursday, Nov. 21.
13 November 2019
Trends are changing, seasonal distinctions are becoming less clear, and the boundaries of hearth, patio, and barbecue products are overlapping. The ever-evolving consumer demand for the latest in indoor-outdoor living has created new, year-round business opportunities, and HPBExpo 2020 is the most efficient, informative, and exciting place to get ahead of these emerging trends and meet the people that could jump start an entire year’s worth of sales. It all happens in New Orleans—the city that celebrates the very indoor-outdoor living experiences that your business brings to life.
REGISTER NOW at hpbexpo.com/register
HPBExpo 2020
6 November 2019
This is a very interesting article regarding wood burning in the US. At NEHPBA, we think this article is worth the read, especially in light of the Net Zero conversation sweep the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest. See the article below:
The US Industrial Pellet Association (USIPA) today lauded a recent letter signed by more than 100 scientists from more than 50 colleges and universities citing the benefits of wood energy. The letter, published by the National Association of University Forest Resource Programs (NAUFRP), calls on policymakers to consider key fundamentals related to forest biomass.
Emphasizing that research on the use of forest biomass dates back to the 1980s, the scientists noted that the "carbon benefits of sustainable forest biomass are well established." The letter also cites a report from United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which notes:
"In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit."
The scientists also emphasized research showing that "demand for wood helps keep land in forest and incentivizes investments in new and more productive forests, all of which have significant carbon benefits."
Reacting to the report, Seth Ginther, USIPA Executive Director, commented:
"This is a resounding statement of academic consensus on the benefits of renewable wood energy. The value of biomass energy production in lowering carbon emissions and supporting healthy forests is well-documented through decades of peer-reviewed research. This letter underscores exactly what we are hearing from the UN IPCC: that sustainably-sourced wood biomass is an essential technology to fight climate change and limit global temperature rise to 1.5C."
Reviewing more than 30 years of scientific research on forest biomass utilization, scientists from a diverse range of universities across the country – from Yale, Harvard, and Georgia to Washington, Idaho, and Berkeley -- identified four fundamentals for science-based decision-making on biomass energy production:
The carbon benefits of sustainable forest biomass energy are well established.Measuring the carbon benefits of forest biomass energy must consider cumulative carbon emissions over the long term. An accurate comparison of forest biomass energy carbon impacts with those of other energy sources requires the use of consistent time frames in the comparison.Economic factors influence the carbon impacts of forest biomass energy.
"We would encourage all policy-makers to heed the recommendations of these university scientists when considering the role of wood energy in reducing carbon and lowering emissions," said Ginther. "The scientific consensus is clear and continues to strengthen: forest biomass is a critical part of an all-in renewables solution for climate change."
About NAUFRP The NAUFRP was formed in 1981 to provide university-based natural resource education, research, science, extension and international programs promoting American forest health. Today, NAUFRP represents 80 universities and their respective scientists, educators and extension specialists.
About USIPA USIPA is a not-for-profit trade association promoting sustainability and safety practices within the US wood energy industry. We advocate for the wood energy sector as a smart solution to climate change, and we support renewable energy policy development around the globe. Our members represent all aspects of the wood pellet export industry, including pellet producers, traders, equipment manufacturers, bulk shippers, and service providers.
View original content here.
SOURCE US Industrial Pellet Association
wdrb.com
29 October 2019
•Max of six retail company teams to compete from different regions in US
•All retailer teams are to bring their ingredients needed for the judge’s plates, which HPBA will reimburse up to $400 onsite. This can include any sauces, marinades, spices, etc.
•Retailer teams are not allowed to bring any precooked or marinated food. All food must be prepared on the Big Green Eggs. All prep must happen during competition.
•Each retailer team can consist of a total of two representatives from their company to participate and compete.
•Each team will have two grills to use that will be preheated. Proper time will be allotted for training on usage of the eggs.
•Each team will have up to an hour to prepare 4 plates (one for each of the three judges and a beauty plate for photos) along with some bite size samples to disperse to the attendees. Out of the budget provided, $200 should go towards ingredients for judge’s plates and $200 towards samples.
•Each team will draw a number to determine the timing that their plates, for the judges, must be turned in and when there start time takes place. Each team will have a total of an hour to prepare the food. First team starts at 5:00pm.
•Plates will be turned in by teams in 5-minute intervals based on their number (team drawing #1 to turn in their plate first and team with #6 to turn in their plate last) starting at 6:00 pm. The last chef will turn their plates in to judges at 6:30 pm.
•Announcement of winner and presentation of award will take place at 6:35 pm.
•The cook-off ends approx. around 6:45 pm.
•Teams can provide their own utensils, but a supply of equipment will be provided for usage.
•A cleaning sink area will be in place if needed.
•Teams will be judged based on overall appearance, taste, and tenderness.
•Teams must have company branding/identification on their uniform attire.
•An Emcee will be spending time with the teams during the cook-off.
•Teams must be onsite at 3:30 pm for proper training of equipment and to get set.
•One award will be presented based on judge’s votes.
•Winning Team receives two Big Green Eggs along with an award and major bragging rights!
Need more information? Contact Karen@nehpba.org or Kelly at HPBA vandermark@hpba.org
15 October 2019
On Thursday, October 24th both the Northeast HPBA Executive Director and our President (Joel Etter, HHT), along with members of HPBA’s Board of Directors, North American Government Affairs Committee, and the other Affiliate Staff and Leaders will meet with legislators and their staff on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
HPBA members will be promoting legislation that would create a federal changeout program fund, legislation that would extend the biomass stove tax credit, and introducing our industry to legislators and staff who may not know our industry very well. Be on the lookout for stories and pictures from our Day on the Hill!
Members of the Northeast Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (NEHPBA) and its regional Affiliates are the leading companies that produce, sell, or service appliances and accessories in the hearth and barbecue industries in North America. Join today to take advantage of all the benefits your company will receive.
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