Maine study weighs impact of more wood heating

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)

“Before we do anything else, we have to look at conservation and efficiency,” Otten said Friday as the task force issued its report.

Maine has about 17 million acres of woodlands that could be harvested commercially, officials said. It is also the state with the highest dependence on No. 2 heating oil, with more than 80 percent of its homes using oil-based heating systems, according to the task force.

Some 440,000 households in Maine use an average of 900 gallons of oil a year, the report said. At current prices, that means each family will spend an average of $4,100 on heat this winter.

Associated Press