Portsmouth, NH (November 15, 2012) New Hampshire's single largest renewable energy project has surpassed a significant milestone in clean power production. Public Service of New Hampshire’s biomass boiler has now accepted and consumed more than 3 million tons of clean wood chips, mostly from local New Hampshire sources. The use of a local fuel source has resulted in tens of millions of additional dollars in the local economy, and a significant reduction in emissions.

The “Northern Wood Power” boiler has produced almost 1.9 billion kilowatt hours of energy, enough to power all of Portsmouth’s homes and businesses for four-and-a-half years.

“It’s a terrific feeling, greeting the local loggers as they deliver wood,” noted Rich Roy, who oversees the wood procurement process at the Northern Wood Power host facility, Schiller Station. “We are using a local, renewable fuel source - our emissions are lower, and the dollars we spend on fuel are staying close to home.”

Northern Wood Power at Schiller Station in Portsmouth began operations on December 1, 2006. The state-of-the-art 50 megawatt fluidized boiler permanently replaced a coal-burning boiler of the same size. The project has resulted in a significant reduction of emissions and a boost to the local economy and to New Hampshire’s forest industry.

By the numbers – since Northern Wood Power started operations on December 1, 2006:

• Wood delivered: > 3.0 million tons
• Regional economic impact ($ paid for wood chips): > $95 millionMajor sources of clean wood chips: NH, 61 percent; MA, 29 percent; ME, 10 percent.
• Coal NOT burned: > 937,000 tons
• Sulfur dioxide emissions avoided: >12,000 tons
• Coal-related carbon dioxide emissions eliminated: ~ 1.9 million tons
• Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) produced: 1.8 million*
• Kilowatt hours of energy produced: 1,875,000,000 kWh