SITKA, AK - The U.S. Coast Guard air station in Sitka plans to switch from oil to wood pellets to heat the base in a cost-saving move.

According to KCAW radio, converting to wood pellets is expected to reduce the air station's annual $340,000 heat bill by about one-third. The news source said a ton of wood pellets at an estimated cost of $300 per ton is equivalent to about 115 gallons of oil at a cost of more than $4 per gallon.

Wood pellet boilers will be installed this summer.

Established in 1944, Air Station Sitka’s area of search and rescue responsibility (AOR) encompasses the entire Southeast region of Alaska and includes 12,000 miles of isolated and rugged coastline, plus remote interior villages.