Energy reporter Tux Turkel’s Jan. 17 article “Trump pledge to save coal plants could benefit Maine wood pellet industry” displays an astonishing lack of skepticism and an unusual error in judgment by Portland Press Herald editors. It does a disservice to your readers by presenting industry fantasy as hard news.

Turkel’s claims about the increased viability of the wood pellet industry is built upon a “white paper” from a “global expert on biofuels,” William Strauss of FutureMetrics. Turkel errs throughout by characterizing Strauss as an expert rather than a businessman with a clear stake in the matter. There’s nothing wrong with Strauss cheerleading his industry, but it’s wrong for the Press Herald not to make that bias clear.

Turkel notes that Strauss has a stake in a pellet boiler company, and yet doesn’t appear to fathom the enormous conflict of interest the association presents. He quotes Strauss’ glowing predictions of wood pellet industry-related forestry jobs and investment opportunities, and absurdly confirms the prediction by citing a forestry lobbyist’s laudatory review of the white paper.

Then he cites an allegedly corroborative Energy Information Administration report, yet omits one of its key findings: that “utility-grade” pellets made from wood waste have a high ash content, adversely affecting air quality.

Turkel throws in a couple of dissenting voices for good measure, but ends where he began, by parroting Strauss’ unsupported claims, including the convoluted argument now popular with coal lobbyists that co-firing coal with wood lowers harmful emissions. Turkel produces no scientific basis whatsoever for that assertion.

It may in fact be the case that there is a viable route ahead for a robust wood pellet industry in Maine, but this “article” is more magical thinking than critical reporting, and blurs instead of illuminates the issue. The Press Herald should consider appending a clarification to the piece.

Lynn Dombek

Portland

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