Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Symposium will address residential wood and pellet heat

Biomass Power & Thermal
By Lisa Gibson June 23, 2011

While 80 percent of residential renewable energy in America comes from wood heat, older wood-burning appliances are the norm. So bringing modern, low-emission appliances to scale is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce residential fossil fuel use, so says the Alliance for Green Heat.

The alliance is holding a free public symposium in Washington D.C. July 13 at the U.S. Forest Service’s Yates Training Room to address residential wood and pellet heating. Wood heat enjoys a deep cultural acceptance in America but policies to harness and transform it are lacking, the alliance said. The symposium will explore the opportunities for policymakers to maximize the potential of residential wood heat to reduce fossil fuel use in a tight fiscal climate, while minimizing its drawbacks. The speakers will cover the policy landscape, sustainability and emissions issues, state and federal case studies, as well as the results of a new study on biomass heat incentives.

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