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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Residential use of wood to heat up 34% from 2000

The use of wood for residential heating has risen one-third over the past decade, an analysis of last year's census shows, Tiffany Stecker of ClimateWire reports. At the same time, use of propane gas and heating oil dropped by 16 and 21 percent, respectively.

Higher oil prices, lower incomes and the search for less expensive fuel may all contribute to the increase in wood-based heating, Stecker reports. Michigan and Connecticut showed the largest increases in wood usage at 135 and 122 percent, respectively. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Ohio and Nevada's usage almost doubled, Alliance for Green Heat reports.

John Ackerly, president of the alliance, speculates that less than 10 percent comes from commercially made wood pellets used in cleaner-burning, EPA-approved stoves, Stecker reports.

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