SEATTLE, WA - As power companies in Europe have switched from using fossil fuels to renewable energy alternatives, the demand for wood pellets has gone up dramatically the past few years. A record volume of 3.2 million tons of pellets was exported from North America to Europe in 2012, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. From the US South, shipments were up 100 percent compared to 2011, while Canadian exports increased 25 percent year-over-year.