This funding will advance the development of wood energy projects in Montana through four major mechanisms:
1. Provide financial assistance for feasibility studies, project planning, engineering and design for public and private facilities through a competitive grant process;
2. Support targeted communication and outreach to address social concerns, recruit energy projects for development, and promote clean wood burning;
3. Expand the network and effectiveness of the statewide wood energy team; and
4. Support staffing capacity to coordinate Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation’s (DNRC) Wood Energy Program and Montana Wood Energy Team.
Goals and objectives are:
1. Solidify a strong Statewide Wood Energy Team that implements a collaborative, strategic approach to biomass energy development.
2. Develop wood energy projects that expand markets for woody biomass generated from forest management projects across all ownerships..
3. Increase awareness of, and interest in, biomass as a viable energy option across a broad spectrum of sectors and scales.
4. Improve social acceptance of wood energy.
5. Implement outreach/communication campaign to promote clean residential wood burning in targeted air sheds.
6. Expand knowledge and skill-sharing among wood energy experts, users, and interested parties.
7. Identify and employ new financing mechanisms for projects.
8. Expand geographic cluster(s) of projects.
9. Maintain staffing capacity and momentum of DNRC’s Wood Energy Program.
MT, Montana, SWET, wood energy, biomass
US Forest Service Grant
$ 250,000
Cooperative Funding
$ 291,980
Total
$ 541,980
For detailed results of this project, please see the references below.
