Vermont funds pellet infrastructure, wood heat projects

By Erin Voegele | April 25, 2016

The Vermont Department of Public Service has awarded $913,054 from the Clean Energy Development Fund to increase the demand and supply for local wood heat, including five grants to support bulk pellet infrastructure and 11 to support advanced wood heating system installation.

The heating systems are projected to eliminate the use of roughly 124 thousand gallons of fossil fuel annually, bringing the state closer to its goal of meeting 30 percent of Vermont’s space heating needs with renewable energy by 2025.

“I am pleased to announce over $438,000 in grants to local schools and housing groups in support of the development of clean, renewable biomass heat for these important institutions, along with an additional five grants totaling $474,000 for improving bulk wood pellet infrastructure and delivery,” said Commissioner Recchia.

“Even with today’s low oil prices we are seeing an increased interest in switching to local bulk pellets,” said Andrew Perchlik, CEDF Director.

 

Bulk pellet infrastructure grants include:

Bourne’s Energy: $21,593 to support a $61,693 bulk pellet storage silo project

Kingdom Pellets: $250,000 to support a $4.57 million project to develop a new pellet mill

Renewable Fuels of VT LLC: $48,475 to support a $138,500 project to make bulk pellet improvements at Windsor Pellet Mill

Sandri: $94,000 to support a $203,525 project for a nine ton pellet delivery truck

VT RE Fuels: $94,000 to support a $270,000 project for a 14 ton bulk pellet delivery truck

 

Advanced wood heating system installation grants include:

Barre Supervisory Union: $80,000 to support a $339,900 wood chip heating project at a school in Barre

Bradley House: $71,008 to support a $202,880 pellet heating project for an affordable housing group in Brattleboro

Brewster-Pierce Memorial School: $47,117 to support a $134,620 pellet heating project at a school in Huntington

Downstreet Housing & Community Development: $40,000 to support a $143,477 pellet heating project for an affordable housing group in Montpelier 

Housing VT - Applegate Apartments: $50,000 to support a $1.37 million chips and/or pellet heating project in Bennington for affordable housing

Housing VT - Hickory Street: $50,000 to support a $147,659 pellet heating project in Rutland for affordable housing

Housing VT - Union Square: $25,000 to support a $219,397 affordable heating pellet project in Windsor

Pittsford School District - Lothrop School: $10,000 to support a $190,800 pellet heating project at a school in Pittsford

Shires Housing: $15,861 to support a $52,871 affordable housing pellet project in Bennington

Windham & Windsor Housing Trust - Canal Street: $20,000 to support a $228,800 affordable housing pellet heating project in Brattleboro

Windham & Windsor Housing Trust - Green Street: $20,000 to support a $142,000 affordable housing pellet heating project in Battleboro

Additional information is available on the Vermont Public Service website.