June 2025 Green Heat News

aVolume 156

Green Heat News

A free monthly news service on renewable,

low carbon heating issues

June 2025

Featured

Denmark woodstove project created "Clean Air Testzone"

The Danish Technology Institute has concluded a 3 year field testing study funded by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. It involved selection of a neighborhood, test design including measurement of background levels of air pollution, efficacy of 7 interventions and measurements at each site, prior to and after the intervention.

Why killing home-energy tax credits would be bad for the economy

"Amid rising energy costs nationwide, House Republicans voted to kill two long-standing federal tax credits that help Americans save hundreds of dollars on their utility bills each year. If approved by the Senate, the move could have serious economic consequences."

Webinars

Harnessing Electronics for Cleaner, Smarter Wood Heating Webinar

Three experts will discuss their efforts to integrate electronics the wood stove, the challenges they face with existing and proposed test methods and the opportunity automation offers to improve indoor and outdoor air quality. June 3rd, 12 to 1:30 PM (ET). Register here.

Chainsaw Safety 101 Webinar

A free webinar designed for firewood banks and their volunteer crews. The webinar will feature experts on chainsaw operation and safety leadership. June 17th, 1 to 2:30 PM (ET). Register here.

Assessment of Residential Wood Heaters Webinar

A webinar on the Independent Assessment of Residential Wood Heaters Project managed by NESCAUM. Presentations will focus on the project goals/objectives, appliance selection, appliance testing, data development, data review, and data availability. You must pre-register here.

Agencies

HHS: Trump's fiscal year 2026 discretionary budget request eliminates LIHEAP

LIHEAP provides federally funded benefits to help households manage costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, and making homes more energy efficient. In FY23, 5,900,000 homes benefited from LIHEAP. No program was proposed to replace it.

EPA: EPA Environmental Justice Grants terminated

EPA is in the process of canceling nearly 800 grants, most of which center on environmental justice and some included wood stove changeouts. These grants were set to increase resiliency of communities in the face of climate change and pollution. EPA claims they have evaluated each of these programs.

EPA: EPA plans to cut staff to 1980s levels, dissolve research office

"Advocacy group the Union of Concerned Scientists on Friday said that shuttering the EPA's scientific arm that conducts independent research and folding it into policy offices will turn the EPA into a political agency.

HUD: NREL partners with Chilkat Indian Village to improve housing in Klukwan, Alaska

"After investigating the stove and crawling around the attic with an infrared camera, the team discovered a lot of air leaking around the stovepipe into the attic, then escaping outside. It was due to stack effect, Hébert said, which occurs when heat rises within a building due to temperature differences between indoors and outdoors."

Congress

The war over the IRA has begun – 38 House Republicans call for full repeal of ‘green new scam’

"Other than kneecapping development and innovation in their own districts, the 38 Republicans assert sticking a fork in the IRA will save taxpayers money, rein in debt, reallocate funds to ‘genuine national priorities,’ ease inflation, and spur economic growth.

HVAC tax credits on the chopping block: House bill threatens key incentives

"We were encouraged by early assurances that Congressional leaders would use ‘a scalpel, not a sledgehammer,’ in addressing energy efficiency tax incentives. Unfortunately, the House tax bill looks much more like the latter." Now the measure is before the Senate.

BTEC supports America’s First Fuels Act (AFFA, S.1345)

AFFA proposes amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to enhance tax incentives for biomass heating systems by increasing the ceiling on the 30% residential tax incentive. BTEC is urging the public to contact their members of congress to support this bill. Read the bill's text here.

Firewood

Firewood logs for sale in western Washington

A dump truck load of logs, which contains about 5.5 cords of mostly fir, is selling for $750- including delivery- in WA.

2023 Hearth.com forum post, "Delivered logs, pricing?"

Hearth.com readers report costs of $800 - $1,200 for tri axle load in early 2023.

AGH seeking funding for Firewood Bank Program

AGH is continuing to support firewood banks in a variety of ways, and looking for funding to resume small grants to firewood banks. Firewood banks are also looking into creating a national association of firewood banks.

Industry

Among those in skilled trades, high hopes for a renewed focus on apprenticeships

"A push by the Trump administration to put more money into hands-on training is seen as a good start to addressing a longstanding, bipartisan concern: the persistent labor shortage in skilled trades." Could apprenticeship program work in the wood heater community?

State News

Ordinance proposes increasing wood stove change-out incentive

AK: "The Fairbanks North Star Borough plans to increase financial incentives through its stove change-out program by 25% to boost participation."

Long-term efforts to clean the air in Fairbanks are paying off

AK: "Since 2015, levels of those fine particulates — the majority of which has come from wood-burning stoves — have been roughly cut in half during the worst winter air-quality days."

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District launches “Heat Clean Program”

CA: "Households in a State-designated low-income or disadvantaged community or on tribal lands, or that document low-income eligibility, can receive up to $12,000 toward replacement with an electric air-source heat pump, and up to $7,000 toward replacement with an electric fireplace insert."

Incentives offered to replace your old wood stove

CA: "Applicants can receive a point-of-sale discount of up to $2,500 to replace their existing, operational wood stove or fireplace, with an eligible wood-burning replacement device or electric stove heater, and up to $5,000 to upgrade to an electric heat pump."

Massachusetts homeowners say state is ignoring cost in push toward all electric heat

MA: "He supplements his heat with two wood-burning stoves, but still saw his January bill rise from $443 in 2024 to $709 this year. Without the stoves, he believes his electric bill would have surpassed $1,000 a month. Either way, he said the increase is more than he paid for oil."

State rep wants more firewood access after ice storm

MI: "State Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs) is asking the state Department of Natural Resources to lift remaining restrictions on the collection of fuelwood — wood for personal use, like firewood. The changes would allow people to collect as much as they want from roadside areas in state forests."

How to season firewood and cut costs, smoke, and fuel use

VT: "Members of the public can check out a moisture meter from over 60 local libraries for free thanks to a statewide loan program from DEC and the Department of Libraries."

Wisconsin firewood business goes fully integrated by adding logging operations

WI: 'We also cut saw logs and sell to sawmills and veneer mills,' said Jesse. He also supplies low-grade logs to companies that manufacture pallet stock. 'We make money on that stuff, pulp wood. It’s not free, but it’s a lot cheaper.'”

International News

Belarusian farmers invited to use pellets in greenhouse heating

Belarus: "Farmers need to switch to pellets to heat greenhouses, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Brest Oblast Governor Piotr Parkhomchik

Pursuing a new CSA standard to heat Canada with wood pellets

Canada: "Once adopted, Canada can more easily design, manufacture and import small solid biomass combustors for Indigenous, remote and rural communities across Canada that use fossil fuel heating systems due to accessibility and affordability."

Complaints about wood fires quadrupled last year

Netherlands: "Increased awareness of the nuisance and health risks caused by wood fires, as well as increased popularity of the Stookwijzer app, is probably also behind the massive increase in reports, Teeuwisse told the newspaper."

'Work to do' on wood heaters as regional council admits 'confusion' over policy

Australia: "The policy would have only applied to new solid fuel heaters in urban parts of the LGA, while rural areas would have been unaffected. Councillors voted against adopting the ban at a recent meeting. They also agreed to run an education program to make sure owners understood their obligations in controlling smoke pollution."

'Woke' council warned by watchdog over anti-wood-burning stove ad campaign

UK: "Owners of wood-burning stoves said the clean air campaign led to 'a climate of fear and intimidation' in which they were named and shamed and verbally abused in the street."

Conferences & Webinars

PFI 2025 Annual Conference

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, June 17-19, 2025

The annual gathering of the Pellet Fuel Institute for manufacturers of heating pellets.

WETT AGM & Conference

Penticton, BC, June 25-27, 2025

This annual conference will have presentations, educational seminars, and hands-on pellet stove workshops, as well as an exhibition hall.

F.I.R.E. Certification Course

Williston, Vermont, July 14-19, 2025

F.I.R.E. will be hosting an opportunity to be trained over a two-day period for the "Certified Fireplace & Chimney Inspector Program."

Wood Pellet Association of Canada Conference

Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 23-24, 2025

The WPAC Conference is your opportunity to learn about the most important issues from industry experts around the globe.

2025 Antique Stove Association Annual Convention

Pueblo, Colorado, September 28-30, 2025

An opportunity to connect and share your passion for antique stoves.

New England International Society of Arboriculture

Southbridge, Massachusetts, October 5-7, 2025

An annual gathering of tree care professionals featuring expert talks, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities in arboriculture (and firewood disposal).

7th European Conference Biomass PowerON 2025

Stockholm, Sweden, October 8-9, 2025

The 7th Biomass PowerON program explores biomass resources, sustainability, policies, and advanced conversion technologies.

World Sustainable Energy Days 2026

Wels, Austria, February 25-27, 2026

The World Sustainable Energy Days includes the European Pellet Conference, Energy Efficiency Conference, Young Energy Researchers, Energy Efficiency Policy, etc.

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