Profitable for decades | Surviving negotiations | Living in the shadows
Happy Friday afternoon!
A few quick news notes before we buzz into the weekend and holiday prep frenzy.
The CT Mirror is reporting that [CT] “State energy officials concluded in a preliminary report released Thursday that the Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford will be profitable through 2035, undercutting its owner’s assertion that Connecticut must change how its electricity is sold or face the early retirement of New England’s largest source of carbon-free power.”
Utility Dive reports “that the speed at which the Republican tax reform bill is being pushed through Congress makes it difficult to assess the details, but at this point it appears that some of the highest profile renewable energy incentives will survive the negotiating process intact.”
If you’re looking for a long read, check out Gatehouse Media’s piece titled, “In the Shadow of Wind Farms.” They describe the article as, “How the wind industry angers landowners and divides communities in pursuit of billions of dollars in subsidies and other incentives.”
Have a great weekend.
Natural Gas/Pipeline
Milford Power files plans for 53-megawatt upgrade to facility, Milford Daily News
New, Major Evidence That Fracking Harms Human Health, The Atlantic
Trump, Zinke to Auction Away 700000 Acres of Western Public Lands for Fracking, EcoWatch
Eversource threatens EDF with cease and desist over report on gas capacity constraints, Utility Dive
National Grid finds an electric approach to natural gas demand response, Utility Dive
Deerfield methane digester getting hooked up to grid, GazetteNET
Loose Cap Caused Blast in Austria That Rattled Energy Market, Bloomberg
Have We Reached Peak Peaker? ‘I Can’t See Why We Should Build a Gas Peaker After 2025,’ Greentech Media
Gas driller: Make homeowner pay for disparaging us, Penn Energy
Fracking sites may raise the risk of underweight babies, new study says, Washington Post
Renewables Policy/Climate Change/Etc.
Energy tax credits appear safe as GOP tax bill speeds toward a vote, Utility Dive
The Hidden History of Canadian Hydropower Headed for America’s Northeast States, Greentech Media
Some Republicans are reconsidering the tax bill’s attack on renewable energy, Vox.com
Benefits of RGGI and RPS, The Union Leader
Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Decreased in Most States from 2005 to 2015, Energy Collective
Source says GOP tax bill will preserve EV and wind tax credits, Midwest Energy News
US Sen. Ed Markey urges conference committee to cut provisions targeting clean energy sector from tax bill, MassLive.com
Wind
In the Shadow of Wind Farms, Gatehouse Media
Wind energy is supposed to help fight climate change. It turns out climate change is fighting back, Washington Post
Possible wind farm sites 17 miles off Hamptons identified, Newsday
DOE slates $18.5 million for research, development of offshore wind power, Daily Energy Insider
Global wind power market expected to reach $111.4bn by 2025, Power Technology
DOE Announces New R&D Effort for Offshore Wind, Renewable Energy World
Solar
Success shines on Solect Energy, Milford Daily News
Governor says he wants to reverse solar rule delay, Penn Energy
This utility CEO’s powerful vision reimagines solar, GreenBiz
Hartland Elementary School wins the big prize – a solar tracker!, Vermont Biz
US Solar Installs Fall to Their Lowest Level Since 2015, as Uncertainty Swirls and Prices Rise, Greentech Media
Maine Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Solar Incentives Battle, Maine Public
Solar array location raises concerns in Chesterfield, Brattleboro Reformer
Energy Efficiency
Going for the green – Smithfield competes in 2017 Rhode Island Energy Challenge, Valley Breeze
Georgetown looks to LED lights for energy savings, but weighs health concerns, Wicked Local Georgetown
Energy Efficiency Program Likely to Survive Regulatory Challenge, Public News Service
Central Mass. businesses getting creative when it comes to high energy costs, Worcester Telegram
Split opinion on Amherst’s move to zero-energy buildings, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Storage
NYISO’s Energy Storage Roadmap: A Plan to Match the State’s New Mandate, Greentech Media
The Key Trends Shaping Energy Storage in 2018, Greentech Media
Tesla and Sunrun Among Winners of Massachusetts Storage Grants, Renewable Energy World
Energy storage sees significant growth as more utilities include it in long-term plans, Utility Dive
Reading Municipal Light Department receives $1 million grant for energy storage project, Wicked Local Reading
Massachusetts Announces More Energy Storage Grants, Renewable Energy World
Nuclear
CT’s preliminary conclusion: Millstone profitable through 2035, CT Mirror
Vermont Yankee cleanup fund hitting $30M with final pay-in, vtdigger.org
Federal nuclear watchdog says licensing advanced power plants will get ‘expensive’, Washington Examiner
We’ll know this week if Diablo Canyon is going to close, The San Luis Obispo Tribune
Russian nuclear plant says it emits leaked nuclear isotope, PennEnergy
N.J. Governor Christie eyes nuclear power subsidies, sparks criticism, Reuters
N.Y. power seen sufficient after Indian Point nuclear retirement -report, Reuters
Markets/Grid/Policy/Prices/Etc.
Eversource sends cease-and-desist letter to environmental group, The Boston Globe
State energy affordability gap widens, New Haven Register
How blockchain can help solve the $3.6 trillion American infrastructure crisis, Business Insider
National Grid bills skyrocket for some in Cumberland, Lincoln, Valley Breeze
Eversource offers late holiday gift: No rate hike in January, Berkshire Eagle
Analyst: FERC Likely to Modify DOE NOPR, RTO Insider
Northern Pass hosts job fair, looking to hire 2600 people, WMUR Manchester
23 communities renew electricity aggregation program for 3 years, SouthCoastToday.com
The Top 10 Utility Regulation Trends of 2017, Greentech Media
State energy office seeking public input to develop plan, Press Herald
New FERC Chairman Requests More Time to Weigh DOE’s Coal, Nuclear Rule, Greentech Media
October Windstorm Took Down CMP’s $200 Million Smart Meter Network, Maine Public Radio
Once-promising Boston-Power cuts Westborough presence, Boston Business Journal (subscriber content)
Maine net metering battle heads to court, Utility Dive
New York Puts $3.8M Behind Large-Scale Geothermal Heating-Cooling Challenge, Renewable Energy World
Regulators Probing Utilities’ Response to Powerful Storm, US News & World Report
NY Governor Announces $3.5 Million Available to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Use, Transmission and Distribution World
New Brunswick to seek new fuel source to replace coal in major power plant, Metro News
Editorial/Opinion
Coast lawmakers push offshore wind project, CommonWealth Magazine
Meet the European Petrochemical Giant Trying to Profit from the Fracking of Pennsylvania, Common Dreams
Why Maine Lawmakers Should Support Pending Microgrid Legislation, Microgrid Knowledge
Mass. should import wind power from Canada, CommonWealth Magazine
Electric vehicle charging gets a jump, CommonWealth Magazine
Northeast Energy News 