Biomass plants in Bethlehem and Tamworth are winding down operations — at least temporarily — after the governor vetoed a bill that would have provided financial subsidies, a company spokeswoman said.
The New Hampshire Legislature recently approved three bills which will benefit the biomass industry, and, by extension, the private forest owners in our state.
Here in New England, we’ve been burning wood for heat since the arrival of humans. And once Europeans started showing up in force four centuries ago, the forests have been a key source of warmth and power.
The number of homes in New Hampshire using wood for heat has more than doubled over the last decade, from 3.8 percent in 2005 to 8.6 percent in 2013. Much of that increase comes from wood pellets. Pellets have advantages over cord-wood – they are less work and burn more cleanly – and are cheaper than fuel oil or propane. But the fuel’s rapid growth has meant the pellet industry has earned a few black-eyes from the occasional shortage, and manufacturers and retailers are struggling to figure out how to smooth out their supply chain.
