A lot of people talk about energy independence these days but, in SAD 58, people are actually doing something about it.
Under
the leadership of Superintendent Quenten Clark, this school district in
Maine's western mountains has decided to take a bold step toward using
renewable resources to heat its schools. What a concept.
Clark calls it a "no-brainer."
He's right.
Likely
tired of waiting for the state or the feds to lead on energy issues,
the SAD 58 Board of Directors decided Thursday to buy a corn stove and
storage silo to heat the district's bus garage in Salem. Earlier, the
board agreed to add a wood chip boiler as soon as the state approves
wood heat for public schools.
The
board's decision to invest $15,000 Thursday for corn heat isn't
revolutionary. It's a move long overdue by government, small and large.
It
may also be visionary in that while many people have a difficult time
understanding timber as a renewable resource, corn is a crop that grows
in a season.
Leaders
in Washington and Augusta must move quickly toward building a biofuels
economy by freeing funds and creating better incentives for those
willing to innovate and lead, as SAD 58 is. After all, every dollar the
district saves on heating costs is a dollar that can be returned to the
classroom.
Creating
a government demand for biofuels - government is a large consumer of
energy in general - spawns new industry and jobs in rural communities
where corn and timber can be grown.
The district's decision Thursday not only saves taxpayer dollars, it also helps keep those dollars in the region.
That's energy independence.
