Colorado Governor Ritter Announces Incentives For Woody Biomass Projects

March 17, 2008 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today announced that the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) is seeking applicants for $100,000 in incentives for bio-heating projects that use community woody biomass.

The funds are being made available through the Clean Energy Fund for a "Community Biomass for Thermal Usage Program." Bio-heating projects support wildfire mitigation efforts, provide alternatives to slash pile burns, and build local wood-fuel markets.

GEO is seeking projects that support fuel-reduction, restoration activities and local collection sites and that demonstrate a long term availability of biomass supply. Also, GEO is interested in supporting projects that use annual forest thinnings, wood waste, including bark beetle kill, and urban waste. Although biomass can be widely defined and has numerous heating applications, this funding is only available for woody biomass for commercial and industrial projects.

"Using Colorado's large woody biomass supplies is a clean way to produce heat while addressing problems associated with beetle kill and using waste products from fire mitigation efforts," Gov. Ritter said. "By offering financial and technical assistance to projects that use community produced wood chips or manufactured pellets, we are helping our communities participate in the New Energy Economy while addressing forest health issues and promoting local economic development. The long-term benefits are greater energy security, environmental security and economic security for our communities and our state."

To learn more about the "Community Biomass for Thermal Usage Program," visit colorado.gov/energy

Source: Colorado Governor

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