We were pleasantly surprised to have Kedel get mentioned in this Letter to the Editor in the Portland Press Herald. Thanks, Clifford Hoover!
Maine should not move too fast on the switch to gas
As I read about the probable move from oil to natural gas to heat Maine homes (“State making the historic shift from oil to natural gas,” Maine Sunday Telegram, May 26), I join the voices urging caution. Gas is a nonrenewable fossil fuel that has significant environmental impacts during extraction and burning.
Our family needs to replace an aging oil furnace. Even if natural gas were available on our street, we would probably not choose to use it. We’d like to install an efficient Kedel wood pellet boiler. The fuel is locally available, renewable and clean-burning, and should not cost us more than $1,000 per year to heat our 1,500-square-foot house.
Our move toward renewable energy began in earnest in 2010 when significant incentives to insulate and tighten up our house were made available through Efficiency Maine. These incentives also convinced us to install a solar hot water system that can provide 160-degree water, even in the middle of winter.
As they consider the Omnibus Energy Bill, I urge the Legislature and the governor to provide incentives for Mainers to choose renewable energy systems and avoid the rush to yet another fossil fuel, as occurred in the ’40s and ’50s when oil was a new rage.
Clifford Hoover
Westbrook