Pellet Fuel Demand Study

 BEDA submitted a grant request tot the Governor's Energy Office in mid May for a Pellet Fuel Demand Study. Expanding the pellet heating market in Colorado is an effective means of increasing renewable energy use and connecting rural mountain communities to the New Energy Economy. Heating with pellets is a proven technology that is growing quickly in Europe. The industry is gaining ground in New England and the upper Midwest. Pellet fuel requires less complex heating and handling equipment on the consumer side than wood chips. Pellets are a value added product which benefits local rural economies. Efficiencies close to 90% are achieved in pellet boilers, making pellet heat a wise choice when considering the efficient use of Colorado’s slow growing woody biomass.  The two pellet plants in Colorado have the ability to produce a total of approximately 250,000 tons of pellets annually. This is equivalent to 136 MW (thermal) or 44.6 million gallons of propane. A very rough and cursory calculation of propane used by Colorado occupied households for space heating is 60.1 million gallons An additional 26.3 million gallons of propane may be used for water heating.  It should be noted that in Grand, Summit and Eagle Counties there are nearly 40,000 vacant housing units with unknown heat fuel types. These units are not included in this calculation. For references see the grant application below    

Pellet Fuel Project BEDA.pdf