Borough in line for switch to pellet heat

The Haines Borough has cleared a major hurdle toward realizing its goal of converting its public facilities from oil-fueled boilers to wood pellet burners.

The Alaska Energy Authority recently recommended the borough’s biomass project, which will convert 10 public buildings from oil boilers to ones burning pellets, be funded with $1.2 million in grant money from its Renewable Energy Fund.

Sean Skaling, AEA’s deputy director for alternative energy and energy efficiency, said the funding isn’t final…