The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry released a report documenting the economic and environmental benefits of heating community, commercial and institutional buildings with modern wood chip and wood pellet technology and fuels produced in Maine.
The Maine Forest Service analyzed the use of wood fuels in calendar year 2017 in hospitals, campuses, schools, municipal buildings and private businesses across the state. In the last 10 years, more than 100 new installations have been made, nearly always replacing imported heating oil.
Key findings of the analysis include:
- Savings in annual heating costs (versus average heating oil cost) – $5.5 million
- Direct spending on local fuels (wood pellets and wood chips instead of exporting fuel dollars for oil) – $6.3 million
- Total value of economic impact generated – $20.6 million
The study documented wood fuel use in these buildings at 19,000 tons of pellets and 45,000 tons of wood chips during 2017. These fuels are nearly entirely produced within Maine, supporting hundreds of jobs.
The study did not evaluate residential use of wood and wood pellets, which has also grown dramatically in Maine. It also did not document industrial use of wood as a heating fuel, such as in wood manufacturing industries. These sectors have also grown significantly in the last decade and make substantial contributions to the state’s economy by displacing the need for imported oil, propane or natural gas.
“It’s clear that advanced wood heating technology is generating significant benefits for Maine, said Doug Denico, director of the Maine Forest Service. “Modern, clean wood chip and pellet boilers are now heating a wide array of bigger buildings in our state. By switching to wood fuels, we keep our fuel dollars here, support our local economy and improve our forest resource base by strengthening markets for low grade wood.”
