Oregon Passes Tax Credits for Wood and Pellet Stoves
Oregon is now a green energy leader. Oregon's state legislature and Governor passed several renewable energy bills in the 2007 session including two bills that directly address “biomass” energy. As described in Oregon’s tax credit rules, home owners who purchase “very efficient biomass combustion appliances” can claim up to $300 in tax credits. Another tax credit is available for burning biomass fuels - cord wood and pellets. Wind, solar, wave energy, geothermal and biomass energy are now all part of Oregon’s portfolio approach to lessoning its dependence on foreign oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
What does this mean and why is this special? For the first time a U.S. state has acknowledged and is promoting that biomass - wood stove and pellet stove heat - is renewable energy and is a sustainable way to heat homes. Oregon already acknowledges that many high efficiency natural gas appliances are clean-burning and good for the environment and now biomass is added to that list.
This is a whole new ballgame. Before this, the hearth industry has been playing defense with the air quality issue. Now, at least in Oregon and a handful of other states, some of our products are green and renewable and part of the overall solution to global warming.
Oregon says high efficiency hearth appliances are on the whole a good way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Oregon's new tax credits are testimony that the hearth industry is part of the sustainability movement. To learn more about Oregon's approach to biomass, visit http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY and click on Renewable Energy.