MAINE PUBLIC • February 18, 2022
For centuries, Mainers have relied on wood to heat their homes. And over the past few decades, many schools and universities have embraced wood heat, as well, in the form of biomass boilers, which have saved them money and reduced their reliance on fossil fuels. A biomass heating system went live on the UMF campus about six years ago. The University of Maine at Orono is now also considering a biomass boiler as part of a range of energy options designed to move away from fossil fuels. But amid the current push toward solar, wind and heat pumps, questions are being raised about the role biomass should play in the state's energy future. "Biomass does work for climate. But it depends on what you're using it for, and where it comes from. It also depends on how you consider time frame," says Andrea Colnes with the New England Forestry Foundation.