RenewableEnergyAccess.com Wood Pellet Industry Expands As Oil and Gas Prices Escalate, REA.com Editor Jesse Broehl on the Month's Big Stories

Peterborough, New Hampshire [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] With the price of oil and gas increasingly out of reach for the average consumer, the wood pellet industry has entered an unprecedented phase of expansion. But some have questioned wood pellets' legitimacy as a truly renewable energy source.

In this week's edition of "Inside Renewable Energy," Charlie Niebling of New England Wood Pellets makes the case for the company's product, citing the benefits of carbon neutrality, localized economies and sustainable feedstock. Wood pellets are not emissions-free, but they contribute far fewer greenhouse gases than oil, gas or coal, says Niebling. With more customers than ever, the pellet industry can no longer rely on a limitless supply of its primary source material, sawdust. The key to continual supply may turn out to be sustainable forestry, Niebling says. In this week's podcast, RenewableEnergyAccess.com Editor Jesse Broehl weighs in on the most significant stories of the month. A new concentrated solar project in Arizona may signal the beginning of a new era for the technology, says Broehl, as Southwestern states find ways to comply with renewable portfolio standards and supply power to a growing population. Broehl also discusses the lack of federal support for solar power in Canada and says there may be reasons for optimism regarding offshore wind power in the U.S., despite the struggles of the Cape Wind project. This week's "Inside Renewable Energy" offers the latest in renewable energy news.
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-- Roger Plafkin, 26 May 2006
We have a substantial amount of trees that have died off and fallen to the ground. We have considered processing some of these trees into mulch, but We see no reason why wood pellets could not be made from these trees. plafkin@juno.com Roger Plafkin.
-- Jeff Anderson, 28 May 2006
Thier are alot of cabinet manufacturing companies that simply don't know about wood pellets. Most simply dump of thier sawdust as waist. The same is true about restrauts and used cooking oil. This used cooking oil can be made into bio-diesel.