MESys Attends 3rd ME Modern Wood Heat Symposium
The MESys Team
Portland, ME – The energy in the room was high as leaders in the forest, heating, and energy industries and some government counterparts gathered to talk about the science of renewable wood biomass as a realistic option to reduce Maine's carbon footprint.
On Monday, November 4, 2019, the 3rd Maine Modern Wood Heat Symposium was held in Portland, Maine. Topics included a poignant keynote from Senator Angus King on federal energy and climate policy and its relevance to modern wood heating. This was followed by a discussion on the benefits of and science behind modern wood heating in terms of carbon and climate, with quite a few good questions during the Q&A.
There was a heavy emphasis on gaining independence from fossil fuels and keeping money in the Maine economy. Senator King echoed these highlights in his keynote speech, stating that it's important for money to remain in local economies instead of other regions in the country and world. He went on to mention the importance of the BTU Act in encouraging the use of modern wood heating. To read more about Senator King's views on renewable energy, visit his website at King.Senate.Gov.
While the cost of modern wood heating was discussed, many models were presented which showed the return on investment.
Also presented were models used in New Hampshire and Maine which allow companies to purchase "T-RECs" or Thermal Renewable Energy Certificates, by using modern wood heating – these allow the return on investment to increase much quicker.
Section topics during the Symposium included the Wood Energy Investment Fund, Thermal Renewable Energy Certificates in the Maine Renewable Portfolio Standard (why, what, when, how for commercial and industrial modern wood heat), and a panel on how to finance modern wood heat projects. For the content of presentations, contact the Maine Statewide Wood Energy Assistance Team (MESWEAT) at woodheatmaine.org.
The Maine Energy Systems (MESys) team was happy to attend and elated to hear the support for modern pellet heating at the Symposium. With a priority on furthering Maine's independence from fossil fuels, the Symposium was a great opportunity to learn about current policy and opportunities within the modern wood heating and forest industries. For questions on how you could utilize modern pellet heating, contact MESys at 207-824-NRGY (6749) or via the web at MaineEnergySystems.com.