Happy Friday afternoon.
There are a lot of stories this week! Let’s start with one from ISO-NE’s Newswire. They are reporting that “New England will be under the shadow of the moon for much of the afternoon on August 21 during a partial solar eclipse. According to NASA, the eclipse will occur between approximately 1:20 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., with the peak expected at around 2:45 p.m., when about 65% of the sun will be blocked (called obscuration). If it is a sunny day, the ISO expects that output from the region’s 2,000 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will drop during these 2 hours and 40 minutes, but anticipates having sufficient resources available to meet the resulting rise in electricity demand.” Be sure to check out the page to see the eclipse map and an easy to understand detailed explanation.
The US EIA announced this week that for the first time, monthly electricity generation from wind and solar (including utility-scale plants and small-scale systems) exceeded 10% of total electricity generation in the United States, based on March data. They expect similar results for April.
We all know Massachusetts is tops when it comes to energy efficiency. This week, the ACEEE announced The 2017 Utility Energy Efficiency Scorecard that looks at the performance of the 51 largest electric utilities in the United States and highlights cutting-edge efforts. Topping the list are Eversource Massachusetts and National Grid Massachusetts, which both earned the same score (91%). As is noted in the blog post, “both achieved more than 3% savings as a percentage of their retail sales in 2015 — a notable achievement.” Notable indeed.
Have a great weekend and a Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.
Natural Gas/Pipeline
Pipeline blasting plans raise fears, Berkshire Eagle
Activists question if Keene’s part of effort to create demand for natural gas infrastructure, Keene Sentinel
Gas bills going up for 12000 National Grid customers, WPRI 12 Eyewitness News
National Grid combating uptick of gas leaks in RI, Turn to 10
Eversource begins first phase of gas line project in Wallingford, New Haven Register
New Coalition Supports Burrillville Power Plant, Wants Affordable Energy Prices, Rhode Island Public Radio
Senate Hears Bill to Derail Burrillville Power Plant, ecoRI news
Departments run drill on how to respond to a leak in Spectra line, Wicked Local West Roxbury
Judge Delivers Blow To Trump Administration In Dakota Access Fight, NPR
Chicago Developer Helps Fund Pro-Power Plant Group, ecoRI news
Natural Gas Industry Brings A Fake Grassroots Group To Eastern Pipeline Fights, HuffPost
Renewable Energy
Wind and solar in March accounted for 10% of U.S. electricity generation for first time, US EIA
Report: Solar could power state’s flagging economy, CT Post
Competition for offshore wind ramps up in Massachusetts, ABC News
Labor, environmentalists tout first US offshore wind farm, SouthCoastToday.com
Cape Wind opposition continues, Cape Cod Times
Offshore wind may help New Hampshire lower energy costs, Recharge
Where offshore wind researchers see the most opportunity, Bangor Daily News
Wind power group’s new ad campaign aims to win over Trump, The Hill
Goldman Sachs invests in wind power and will help other big brands meet their green goals, Marketplace.org
Poll: Maine Voters Support Solar Energy, But Deeply Concerned About Affordable Energy and See Lowering Costs as Top Priority, Energy Central
Saco looking to get rid of wind turbine, National Wind Watch
2017 Clean Energy Jobs Report: RI Clean Energy Jobs See 66 Percent Growth Since 2014, Energy Central
Pick My Solar Partners with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and Local Non-Profits to Create An Online Solar Marketplace, Energy Central
Big business sees the promise of clean energy, The Economist
Wind Turbines: Behind the Spin, Machine Design
August eclipse will miss New England, but still could cut solar power output, Concord Monitor
RGGI CO2 auction price drops to $2.53/st, lowest price since 2012, Platts
Company gets rights to put solar panels on old Wallingford landfill, Meriden Record-Journal
Nexamp Completes Community Solar Project In Massachusetts, Solar Industry Magazine
Energy Efficiency
The results are in: here are the most energy-efficient utilities in the US, ACEEE Blog
Number Of Clean Energy Jobs Increasing In RI, Rhode Island Public Radio
Trump’s Delay on Energy Efficiency Is Illegal, Natural Resources Defense Council
11 states sue Trump’s DOE over stalled energy-use limits, ABC News
Energy Efficiency Bill Would Help Schools, U.S. News & World Report
Genbright and Ice Energy partner to reduce peak electricity demand on Nantucket, Penn Energy
Green Mountain Power’s Latest Distributed Energy Play: Smart Water Heaters for 99 Cents a Month, GreenTech Media
Nuclear
Natural Gas Industry Blasts Nuclear Power With Fake News, Forbes.com
DOE shells out $67M for advanced nuclear technology research, Utility Dive
Plymouth: Proposal to Build Converter Station on Pilgrim Site Goes Before Selectmen, 95.9 WATD-FM
NRC reports on Seabrook Station nuke plant, The Daily News of Newburyport
Oral arguments set for nuke plant license amendment, The Daily News of Newburyport
Vermont Yankee offers safety assurances as fuel move starts, Brattleboro Reformer
Trespass charge dropped against Vermont Yankee activist, vtdigger.org
Ferland: Commend citizens’ panel for an extraordinary Vermont Yankee Meeting, VermontBiz
How Retiring Nuclear Power Plants May Undercut U.S. Climate Goals, New York Times
Markets/Grid/Policy/Prices/Etc.
Carbon Pricing Bill Attracts Support and Opposition, Rhode Island Public Radio
Massachusetts Bills Create New Opportunities for Microgrids, Non-Wires Alternatives, MicroGrid Knowledge
Powered Down, Massachusetts’ Last Coal-Burning Plant Leaves A Void, WGBH
ISO-NE prepared to operate grid through partial solar eclipse in August, ISO-NE Newswire
Utility CEOs to DOE: Hands off state energy policies, grid planning, Utility Dive
Heat waves: Demand response’s time to shine, Utility Dive
Southern California power supply at risk this summer -FERC, Reuters
Proponents, opponents speak out at Northern Pass hearing, The Union Leader
Analyst: Northern Pass could save customers about $18 a year, The Union Leader
Cape Light Compact Concerned with Changes in New Eversource Filing, CapeCod.com
Eversource rate tweak missed review deadline; new hearings ordered, Berkshire Eagle
“Do you believe?” is the wrong question to ask public officials about climate change, Vox.com
Survey: What Electricity Customers Really Want, Greentech Media
Morse, Bradley Support Repeal of Electric Consumption Tax, Biomass Study, Energy Central
Editorial/Opinion
Natural Gas Industry Blasts Nuclear Power With Fake News, Forbes.com
Chris McKay: Sound regulations restricting wind power, vtdigger.org
Letter: No to Northern Pass, industrial wind, Concord Monitor
Editorial: New England’s energy challenges, The Providence Journal
Millstone nuclear plant not in ‘limbo’. Needs no special financial treatment, MassLive.com
If the feds won’t face climate change, the region can, The Boston Globe
Paris withdrawal won’t deter wind, solar, CommonWealth Magazine
Northeast Energy News 