What We're Thinking

Energy Independence Through Wood Heat

By Joe Short

Editor’s Note: The data in this article was updated April 6, 2026.

Current events are reminding us again about the globally interconnected energy supply chains we depend upon. In the last three weeks oil has rocketed to prices not seen since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Before that were price spikes in 2013-2014 during conflicts in Iraq and Libya.

We all feel the price of oil at the gas pump, and in the Northeast we see it in another place: heating bills. Between February 23 and March 31, the cost of heating oil rose 41% in Maine and 36% in New Hampshire, enough to rattle any household heating with oil as we slowly work towards spring.

In that same time, the price of wood heating fuels went up… NOT A PENNY.

Price per MBtu in Maine by fuel source from February 23 to March 9 (Source: Maine Department of Energy Resources)

This is one reason why the Center has long been a promoter of modern wood heat, which decouples home heating from global oil prices, conflicts and speculation Modern wood heat provides a locally sourced renewable fuel for our domestic heating needs. To be clear, this is different than using wood to produce electricity – the scale, scope, and carbon implications are different.

The Northern Forest region is dense with older buildings heated with oil and propane. In these buildings, swapping in modern wood heat for oil or propane gives homeowners, businesses, and community buildings a much less volatile, often cheaper, and carbon-better way to heat, while making use of harvest residues and mill residuals from nearby forests and wood processors. Modern wood heating technologies range from familiar pellet stoves to fully automated boilers and furnaces that fully mimic the performance and convenience of their oil and propane equivalents.

Oil will continue to rise and fall in the future, and some will feel this pricing pain as a temporary nuisance, feeling good about the notion of ‘cheap’ fuel. But, if we want price stability and greater energy independence, modern wood heating systems fit the bill, and the supply chain to fuel them is all around us. Here are some resources: https://feelgoodheat.org/

Staff Contact

Joe Short

Vice President

Cell: 603-491-2651

More on Feel Good Heat

The Role of Rebates for Modern Wood Heat

Major Push by Wood Heat Campaign Widens Consumer Exposure

The Carbon Accounting of Modern Wood Heat

Staff Contact

Joe Short