Pellet Fuels Institute

1
Pellet Fuels Institute

• Action Report July 20, 2007

2
Meetings

• Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL), Legislative Aide Megan
  Murphy
• House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John
  Dingell (D-MI), Legislative Aide Kim Trzeciak
• Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC), Legislative Aide Ben
  Bell
• Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Legislative Aide Kerri
  Johannsen
• Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Legislative
  Aide Scott DeFife
• Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), Legislative Director
  Matt Thornblad and Legislative Aide Todd
  Stubbendick
• House Select Committee on Energy Independence and
  Global Warming Committee Chairman Ed Markey
  (D-MA), Legislative Director Jeff Duncan
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Policy Advisor Amy
  Fuerstenau
• Larry Brady, Committee on Oversight
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Legislative Director
  Janine Benner
• Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Legislative Aide Tim
  DeMonico

3

• Rep. Ed Pastor (D-AZ), Legislative Aide Richard
  Patrick
• Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN), Chief of Staff Peg McGlinch
  and Legislative Director Jeremy Bratt
• Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY), Legislative Aide Bill
  Beaver
• Senator John Thune (R-SD), Legislative Director
  David Schwietert
• Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Legislative
  Director John Sherry
• Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Legislative Director
  Matt Hodge
• Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Legislative Aide
  Leo Munoz
• Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN), Legislative Aide David
  Bond
• Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), Legislative Aide Jeff
  Hild
• Assistant to the Speaker Xavier Becerra (D-CA),
  Legislative Aide Henry Truong
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chief of Staff
  Karen Robb
• Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Legislative Assistant Matt
  Hoffman
• Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), Legislative Aide Damon
  Nelson
• Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Legislative Aide
  Nicole Goldberg
• Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Legislative
  Director Ryan Work
• Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA), Legislative Aide Dan
  McLean
• Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Legislative Aide
  Stephen Plevniak
• Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Legislative Aide
  Elissa Levin
• Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY), Legislative Aide
  Brendan Williams

4
Delivered Information

• Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), Ranking Member of Energy
  and Commerce Committee
• Minority Whip Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
• Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)
• Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of Energy and
  Commerce Committee
• Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
• Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
• Ed Markey (D-MA), Chairman of Energy Independence
  and Global Warming Committee
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), Chairman of
  Agriculture Committee
• Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of Natural
  Resources Committee
• Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of Oversight
  and Government Reform
• Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Ranking Member of Natural
  Resources Committee

5

• Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA)
• Rep. Peter Visclocky (D-IN)
• Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD)
• Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA)
• Rep. Phil English (R-PA)
• Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL)
• Erik Olson, Policy Advisor for Ron Kind (D-WI)
• Aruna Kalyanam, House Ways and Means Committee
  Tax Professional Staffer
• Beth Vance, Staff Director of House Ways and
  Means Committee on Select Revenue

6
Testimony

• Testimony on behalf of the pellet industry and
  the Pellet Fuels Institute in a House Small
  Business Committee hearing on the impact of
  renewable energy production in rural America
• Testimony on behalf of the pellet industry and
  the Pellet Fuels Institute at a Ways and Means
  Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures hearing
  on energy and tax policy
• Written testimony was sent to members of the
  House Select Committee on Energy Independence and
  Global Warming
• Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
• Rep. John Hall (D-NY)
• Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA)
• Rep. John Larson (D-CT)
• Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA)
• Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
• Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI)
• Ranking Member James Sensenbrenner (R-WI)
• Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ)
• Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA)
• Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK)
• Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)

7
Thune Amendment

• FHGR and Don Kaiser met with Sen. Thunes office
  to ask them to support the Pellet Fuel Industry. 
  As a result of this lobbying effort, Sen. Thune
  introduced Senate Amendment 1527 to extend the
  ethanol tariff for two years from 1/1/2009 to
  1/1/2011 and use a portion of the funds from the
  extension to establish a Renewable Energy Fund to
  help bolster domestic renewable energy use by
  setting aside funds for a Renewable Energy
  Security Provision previously authorized under
  the Energy Policy Act of 2005 at a total amount
  of 250 million over two years.  The Renewable
  Energy Security Provision provides a discount of
  25, capped at 3,000, for consumers choosing
  renewable energy appliances for home or small
  business to provide heating, cooling, hot water
  or electricity generation. 

8
Sununu Amendment

• In addition, FHGR worked with Sen. Sununus
  office on language to create a tax credit for the
  Pellet Fuels Industry.  The Sununu Amendment,
  Senate Amendment 1659, cosponsored by Sen. Wyden,
  expands an existing tax credit created under the
  Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Section 1335) to
  include biomass renewable energy appliances for
  residential use to provide heating or hot water. 
  The credit provides a discount of 30, capped at
  4,000, for consumers choosing a biomass
  renewable energy appliance.  Sen. Sununu, along
  with Senetors Thune and Gregg, introduced a
  revised form of this amendment as legislation, S.
  1697, known as the "Renewable Energy Tax Parity
  Act."

9
Additional Legislative Efforts

• Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH)
• Introducing legislation in the U.S. House of
  Representatives similar to the Renewable Energy
  Tax Parity Act currently pending in the U.S.
  Senate.
• Actively seeking cosponsors
• Working with Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
• Member and staff working on legislative vehicles
  to encourage the production and use of pellet
  fuels
• Anticipated to sponsor helpful legislation
• House Ways and Means Committee
• Set forth appropriate definitions in legislation
  to extend benefits and incentives to pellet
  fuels.
• Staff has adopted recommendations

10

• Farm Bill 2007
• Working with Agriculture Committee - renewable
  energy provisions
• Grant opportunity for biomass and pellet fuel
  research facilities
• U.S. Department of Energy and Department of
  Agriculture
• Financial assistance addressing research and
  development of biomass based products
• More efficient production of pelletized fuels
  and/or improvement in the burning process
• Finance Committee, Energy and Commerce Committee,
  and other Committees of Jurisdiction
• Regular meetings with Members and staff
• Committees seeking opportunities

11
Hearings (partial listing)

• House Small Business Committee (July 11, 2007)
• Small Businesses at the Forefront of the Green
  Revolution What more needs to be done to keep
  them here?
• House Committee on Energy and Commerce Markup
  (June 27 28)
• Committee Prints on Energy policy legislation
• House Committee on Ways and Means (June 20)
• Approved H.R. 2776, The Renewable Energy and
  Energy Conservation Act of 2007
• House Committee on Natural Resources Full
  Committee Markup (June 13)
• Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of
  2007
• Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural
  Resources and Infrastructure Hearing (May 24)
• Energy Efficiency Can Tax Incentives Reduce
  Consumption?
• Senate Finance Committee Hearing (February 27)
• Americas Energy Future Bold Ideas, Practical
  Solutions

12
Other

• Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association Expo
• Pellet Fuels Institute Luncheon
• Drafted 600 letters to members of U.S. House and
  Senate and hand delivered them to offices
• Regular conference calls
• Monitor renewable fuels legislative activity
• Monitor and forward related press releases