Many Mainers are now splitting and stacking wood to burn in their fireplaces and woodburning stoves this winter. In some residences, wood is the primary source of heat. The costs of heating oil and heating gas are a big part of that story. Split wood and wood pellets are relatively inexpensive, especially if you do your own splitting.
However, 10 states are reported to be suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency for permitting consumers to purchase and use woodburning stoves. They claim that the stove use is damaging their environment. The states are Alaska, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
The latest Census data that I could find, as analyzed by the Alliance for Green Heat, show that, as of 2009, Vermont was the state that had the largest percentage of homes heated primarily from wood. Maine was second, followed, in order, by, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and New Hampshire. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on October 13, 2023.)