TIMES RECORD • July 15, 2022
I have long supported the use of wood energy to counter the effects of climate change and to improve our environment and our forest products industry. Pellets provide a market for low-grade, low-value wood that landowners routinely remove to promote healthy forests. Now, wood pellets can help provide relief to the budgets of households and businesses. I recently co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to help more Maine households and businesses use biomass heaters instead of relying on fossil fuels. In 2020, a 26 percent tax credit available through the end of 2023 for highly efficient residential wood heating systems became law. This Congress, the updated Biomass Thermal Utilization (BTU) Act would provide tax credits for capital costs incurred in commercial and industrial installations, and it would also extend the residential credit passed last year through 2028. ~ Sen. Susan Collins