Maine Proposal Would Require Heating Oil to Contain Biofuel by 2011
Soybeans are the source of much of the biofuel that is mixed with petroleum-based heating oil in the US. (image: gas2.org)
It looks like Maine is going to be the next state to mandate an increase in biofuel heating oil. The Bangor Daily News reported on Thursday on a proposal by State Representative Steve Butterfield, calling for all Maine heating oil to be at least 2 percent biofuel by 2011. Massachusetts already has similar legislation on the books, and New York is considering the same thing.
Rep. Butterfield added a number of provisions allowing the governor to suspend the mandate if the biofuel market should fail. The initial mandate requires all No. 2 home heating oil sold in Maine to contain 2 percent biofuel. However, the goal is that the amount of biofuel will increase along with Maine biofuel production.
Butterfield and Jamie Py of the Maine Energy Marketers Association (formerly the Main Oil Dealers Association) note that homeowners will not have to make any changes to their heating systems in order to incorporate these low-percentage biofuel blends.
Biofuels are liquid fuel blends made from both renewable energy sources and petroleum. The upsides to using biofuel include it being derived from renewable resources and burning cleaner than traditional crude oil stocks. Butterfield and other state officials are incredibly excited at the prospect of using paper byproducts as the base of new biofuels, instead of the more controversial corn and food crops. And as HeatingOil.com reported in October, the Maine timber industry is considering a switch to wood-based biofuel production.
Interestingly, the comments on the Bangor Daily News piece are largely against the incorporation of biofuels into Maine heating oil. It seems that main reason is the poor performance of ethanol in gasoline experienced by many of the commenters. However, it is important to note that ethanol in gasoline and biofuel blends of heating oil are two very different things. Biofuel in heating oil does not, as it is suggested in many comments, lead to clogged fuel lines and lower system efficiency. Butterfield and Py point out that homeowners don’t need any upgrades or changes in their systems to accommodate biofuel blends, and Py himself uses a 5 percent biofuel in his furnace and reports that there is no noticeable difference in his heating system’s performance.
While it is true that heating oil blends are slightly more expensive than traditional crude, that will likely change as biofuel becomes more and more common within the marketplace. Transitions can be tough, but the benefits of widely used biofuel blends far outweigh any possible initial costs.
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