HEAT Show 2023 Had Something for Everyone

The liquid fuels industry convened in Springfield, Massachusetts from June 20 to June 22, for the National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI) HEAT Show 2023. Close to 800 attendees filled the show floor at the MassMutual Center, meeting with vendors, attending technician and management training sessions, networking over refreshments, and enjoying every minute.

Highlights of the show included the opening Government Affairs Committee Meeting, the Legends Dinner Gala, NORA updates, training sessions on the new B100 burners from R.W. Beckett, two inspiring keynote presentations, the Industry Summit and so much more.

Click here for photos from HEAT Show 2023

The HEAT Show kicked off with two important sessions: the NEFI Government Affairs Committee meeting and the Market Based Regulatory Update session led by Joe Uglietto of Diversified Energy Group providing insight on the different types of regulation, the challenges of each, and how industry members might be able to generate additional profit from some programs.

As Mike Estes said as he opened the GAC meeting, “It’s been one heck of a year. People think they know better than us about getting to clean fuels. We have to fight at the state and federal level to bring some sanity into the mix.” Association leaders provided updates on fuel and energy issues in their states, from the new Clean Heating Standards in Vermont and Massachusetts; to Connecticut’s successful defense against hundreds of energy-related bills in the last year; to Rhode Island’s good – B10 Bioheat® fuel will be standard across the state as of July 1, 2023 – and bad – the legislature has voted to ban fossil fuels in new construction as of 2025. Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Pennsylvania provided updates on challenges as well, and Jim Collura, NEFI’s Vice President and Director of Government Affairs provided explanations of new federal policies, the Inflation Reduction Act, heat pump grants under the Defense Production Act, and the proposal to remove all non-electric heat pump equipment from the ENERGY STAR® certification program.

These serious sessions were followed by some much-needed celebration, as attendees changed from work and travel clothes into their finery for the Legends Gala Dinner. In their tuxedos, suits, gowns and cocktail dresses, the members of the liquid heating fuels industry feted the night’s honorees: Steve Abbate (Cetane Associates), Peter Bourne (Bourne’s energy) Scott D. MacFarlane (MacFarlane Energy), Paul J. Nazzaro, Sr., (Advanced Fuel Solutions), Edward Scott, Jr. (Scott Energy Co., Past NEFI Chair), Doug Woosnam (Cetane Associates, Woosnam Consulting, DVFDA), and Jeffrey M. Woosnam and Jeffrey S. Hammond (Star Group), while enjoying a delicious dinner of lobster and filet mignon. The evening was emceed by former legend Jim Townsend, with special appearances by NEFI Executive Director Sean Cota and NORA President Michael Devine.

Wednesday started early with a rousing keynote breakfast session on Cheer-leading, led by former women’s professional football player and corporate consultant Jan Horton Spence. This was the pep rally the audience needed, and fully energized, they moved on to a morning of Management Sessions. Techs enjoyed breakfast in the “pre-show area” and went on to earn NORA CEU credits in their training sessions. The trade show floor opened at 2 p.m. and was filled with several hundred attendees exploring exciting product demos, state-of-the-art trucks, a truck driving simulator and games of skill, and speaking with professional and friendly exhibitors. The trade show continued Thursday morning, and was followed by another inspiring keynote session, this time over lunch, by Betsi Bixby of Meridian Associates, who exhorted the attendees to carefully consider their company’s culture and then find employees who held the same priorities. Management sessions offered instruction and insight into business operations, NORA advancements, technology and fuel enhancements, marketing, family business structuring, hedging, the Renewable Fuel Standard, and so much more.

The technicians at the HEAT Show had their days filled with training sessions led by some of the best minds in the industry, and earned NORA CEU credits for each program they attended. These included:

• How to Select the Perfect Replacement Circulator without Doing the Math! by David Holdorf, Taco Comfort Solutions
• Kerosene Alternatives for Cold Flow Protection by Leo Verruso, Advanced Fuel Solutions
• Binding Pumps and Other Sticky Situations, by Bob O’Brien, NORA
• Low Voltage Wiring, Bob O’Brien, NORA
• Beckett’s Tank-to-Flame: System Solutions for Tomorrow’s Fuels Today! By Alan Wornham, R.W. Beckett
• Lights-Controls-App ACTION, Diagnostics Made Easy, by Jeff Rozga, R.W. Beckett
• NORA Advanced Tank, by John Levey, NORA

The show ended on a positive note with the Industry Summit V. There was a lot to cover during the Summit, starting with a panel discussion on the newest technologies, with Kevin Beckett, President of R.W. Becket and Rich Lyons, President of C. Cowles/Carlin introducing their new B100 burners; Roger Marran, President of Energy Kinetics, representing the equipment manufacturers eagerly awaiting these new burners; and Dr. Tom Butcher, Director of Research, NORA, on the results of their ongoing experiment using B100 and solar energy to provide net-zero carbon heating. Industry leaders returned to the podium to revisit some of the information from the GAC and provide a dose of optimism by sharing thoughts on how to overcome the challenges facing the industry. The summit ended with Rich Goldberg providing information on some of the marketing strategies his company has implemented and Paul Nazzaro, representing Clean Fuels Alliance America (CFAA), reviewing the years’-long partnership between CFAA and the renewable liquid heating fuel industry.

Planning for the next HEAT Show is already underway. Please watch your email for news and details.

The 2023 HEAT Show was organized by the NEFI Events Committee, including NEFI Business Manager Lisa Avery, NEFI Events Coordinator Jessica Levaggi and PriMedia Creative Director John Bruno. For more information, contact Jessica Levaggi at 617-804-2222 or events@nefi.com.