Otten urges alternative energy use

FARMINGTON – The probability that fossil fuels will remain at current prices for much longer is highly unlikely.

“You’ve got to be in la-la land if you believe oil will still cost $2.50 a decade from now,” Les Otten told members of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce during the monthly Business Breakfast Series program this morning. With that in mind, Otten urged people get moving on renewable energy sources now.

Otten, a former ski industry mogul and part-owner of the Boston Red Sox, and now a candidate running for governor, is an owner of Maine Energy Systems, a distributor of wood pellet home boiler systems, said it makes sense for Maine to turn to solar, wind, geothermal and wood, especially wood, so we can reduce our dependence of foreign oil. As it stands now, he said, 80 percent of Maine’s homes burn heating oil to stay warm.

“We need to accept the fact that there’s going to have to be change,” he said. Appointed to Gov. John Baldacci’s Wood-to-Energy Task Force in 2008, Otten said the group was charged with finding ways to reduce the state’s reliance on foreign oil and stimulate Maine’s economy by developing renewable sources of energy made in Maine.

As one of the most heavily forested states in the country, it’s a natural for Maine to turn to wood as a renewable energy source.

“We asked what would be the easiest solution and looked to wood. It seemed the answer was looking at us in the face,” he said. Among the proposals recommended by the group was converting public buildings to wood biomass heat; encourage homeowners to switch from oil heat to heat from renewable energy sources; and promote Maine-grown alternative energy industries.

Otten noted wood used as fuel has several advantages over oil use. It is a renewable and sustainable resource, emits only 10 percent of the carbon dioxide that burning oil does and costs substantially less. In addition, it would provide more jobs in the state. 

“If 10 percent of Mainers switched to pellet heat, 7,000 jobs would be created,” Otten said.

He also pitched to the Chamber crowd on the idea of “keeping our energy dollars in Maine” and noted that some $1.4 billion was spent by Maine homeowners in 2007 on foreign oil. The state has focused so far on helping homeowers and businesses move toward energy efficiency but tax incentives are needed to move toward switching to alternative energy sources. He suggested a $5,000 tax credit over a 5-year period.

“The biggest role government should have is to give unified direction,” he said as his reason for promoting tax incentives to push alternative energy use. “Let’s lead the nation. There’s no reason why Maine can’t be the number one green state in the country.”

Otten warned that people need to plan for the day when oil fuel is no longer affordable and or available, otherwise, “It’s going to hit you like a ton of bricks.”