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Winter has settled in (watch for our photo essay in the coming weeks), and for most of us that means the heat is on, the days are shorter and we are using more electricity. The deep Southeast is even getting a severe dose of cold – weather usually reserved for folks in the northern tier of the country.

The deep freeze, though, makes this a good time to talk about renewable energy from sustainably grown forests. We’re starting that exploration with Marcus Kauffman’s look at Alaskan communities that power their schools with wood-fired boilers. Over the next month, we will also touch on the use of wood to make liquid fuels for cars, trucks and airplanes. The when, why and how’s of whether wood energy does or does not make sense will be explored.

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