First-ever biomass fair planned
PRESQUE ISLE — Officials with the Aroostook Partnership for Progress will host the county’s first Biomass Fair on Saturday, May 19 at the University of Maine Presque Isle’s Gentile Hall from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fair is free to the public with emphasis on businesses or homeowners who are interested in implementing a biomass-related alternative energy source in their business or home.
The Biomass Fair will bring together subject matter experts and vendors from local pellet manufacturers, stove/boiler suppliers, engineering firms and banks that will be prepared to answer questions and help guide participants through the options and process of establishing a system for their business or home. In addition to the vendors present, there will be a series of educational presentations on biomass ranging from “Wood Supply” to “How Biomass Systems Work” to discussions on “Pellet Production,” “Chips vs. Pellets,” and “Residential Financing Options.”
“Maine and Aroostook County need to grow and prosper,” said APP President and CEO Robert Dorsey. “The first order of business then is to ensure we retain our current business, job, and population base that already exists here in The County.”
The Aroostook Partnership for Progress wants to provide companies and residents with additional information on one of the major alternative energy options that may enable them to reduce their energy costs, increase their profits, and have more available dollars for other goods and services.
In addition to commercial and residential use for biomass heating systems, local companies that manufacture wood pellets, deliver pellets or wood chips, install or service biomass stoves and boilers products, or finance or insure these products can benefit the local economy and help produce more jobs. When using a biomass heating solution, essentially 100 percent of the money spent stays in the county or Maine.
Also at the Fair, APP and NMDC will have a booth with a “payoff calculator” that can assist attendees in determining how much money they can save and how long it will take to pay off the investment in a new biomass system.
The Biomass Fair is a one-stop location to have all questions answered. For more information about the Fair, visit www.appme.org, or contact Dorsey at 207-498-8731 or e-mail rdorsey@nmdc.org.
