Wood Boilers in Our Future

At the Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass conference last week, we were witness to the rapid growth of our industry and had the opportunity to join forces with competitors, customers and regulators to set the stage for a greater contribution to a sustainable energy future for New England.

The conference host organizations and organizers came together to produce what amounts to a position paper for biomass thermal energy in the Northeast. In a very responsible manner, this group started with the available forest feedstocks, first removing all the inaccessible fiber, then removing that already used in pulp and paper and lumber harvesting. Finally, that remaining for biomass thermal is cut in half in order to be conservative.

Similarly, an evaluation of energy crop yields is cut in half, again, to be conservative. Taking these two sources of near carbon neutral fiber together, the authors estimate that we can provide 25% of our thermal energy needs using biomass grown and harvested annually here in the Northeast. To say this is exciting would be an understatement; it allows for a renewed sense of optimism. One can begin to imagine a diverse energy economy, in which wood and energy crops join with wind, hydro, solar and traditional fuels to provide cost effective resources, prosperity and a sustainable future for our region.

The position paper and the accompanying brochure will be important tools in implementing this vision. Our government entities and private industry will need to commit and cooperate if we are to realize the potential. To get to this level in fifteen years, while aggressive, appears achievable. Share the vision and spread the word among your legislators, regulators, industry leaders and building operators. The "A Bold Vision for 2025" brochure and white paper are available on the Vital Technologies website at http://vital-air.com/news_story.php?id=7.