RGGI Pays Off | Palm Trees | Sox Go Green
Happy Friday Afternoon.
First up in the news this week is from Inside Climate News where we learn that our friends at the Analysis Group released a report Tuesday about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) that showed some unexpected benefits. They report, “The nine Eastern states gained $1.4 billion in economic benefits from RGGI over the past three years because of the way they invested proceeds from the cap-and-trade program…The biggest payoff came in investments in energy efficiency programs, which have led to more businesses and jobs in activities such as energy audits and installing energy-efficiency equipment. The analysts also found that the cap-and-trade system has not undermined the reliability of the electricity grid, and it has not led to a net increase in electricity bills.”
Who doesn’t love palm trees? Greentech Media reports “A team of researchers is working to complete the design for a novel 50-megawatt offshore wind turbine…The blades for the so-called Segmented Ultralight Morphing Rotor (SUMR) wind turbine would…face downwind. The “go-with-the-flow” design was inspired by palm trees, which have evolved to withstand hurricane gales. Just as palm fronds bend and yield to the direction of the wind, the segmented blades for the SUMR turbine will fold together, aligned with the wind direction, in strong winds.”
The Red Sox are on quite a roll this season. For some activists though the chant of “Let’s Go Red Sox” should be “Sox Go Green.” From the Eagle Tribune, “Fenway Park already has its Green Monster — and now environmental activists want the whole ballpark to ‘go green’… activists from Environment Massachusetts and MASSPIRG Students have announced the launch of their “Sox Go Green” campaign. They’re asking the franchise to obtain 100 percent of the energy used for Fenway Park, team operations, and the team’s spring training facility in Florida from renewable resources like solar and wind power within five years.” Whatever the Red Sox decide, we certainly don’t want them to change whatever energy they have going in their bats right now.
As always you can find energy events at Northeast Energy News. Have a great weekend.
Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling
FERC issues NOI seeking comments on gas pipeline evaluations, Utility Dive
Zinke hints at Maine exemption for offshore gas drilling, Penn Energy
For public hearing on fracking, public shows up, but hearing is delayed, Thehour.com
Oil leaking into Mystic River in Boston believed to be coming from Eversource pipe, The Boston Globe
Footprint cuts ties with Iberdrola, The Salem News
Two years after pipeline shelved, opposition groups continue fighting fossil fuel development, The Keene Sentinel
Columbia Gas seeks rate hike, MassLive.com
As FERC Review of NatGas Pipeline Policy Nears, House Lawmakers Divided Over Priorities, Natural Gas Intelligence
FERC Whipsawed on Pipeline Policy in House Hearing, RTO Insider
Parents Didn’t Want Fracking Near Their School. So the Oil Company Chose a Poorer School, Instead., Mother Jones
The Secret of the Great American Fracking Bubble, DeSmog
Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI
Greenhouse gas emissions from power plants plunge, EPA report shows, Washington Examiner
Going Green? Activists push Red Sox to use 100 percent renewable energy, Eagle Tribune
Bills setting 100 percent renewable energy goal for Pa. draws bi-partisan support, PennLive
Carbon Markets Pay Off for These States as New Businesses, Jobs Spring Up, InsideClimate News
Green Mountain Power’s Distributed Energy Business Isn’t Scaling Fast Enough, Greentech Media
Danbury-based company submits seven fuel cell proposals for energy procurement, New Haven Register
Wind
Fishermen air concerns about Vineyard Wind, MV Times
Connecticut Evaluates Bids for First Offshore Wind Farm, Engineering News Record
Concerns, support aired at offshore wind hearings in Hyannis, on Nantucket, Cape Cod Times
Fate of Fall River waterfront waits on offshore wind decision, Herald News
How fishermen could thwart Cuomo’s offshore wind master plan, City and State NY
US East Coast Offshore Wind Benefits Vary Significantly Depending On Location, Finds Berkeley Lab, CleanTechnica
Design for 50-MW Offshore Wind Turbine Inspired by Hurricane-Resilient Palm Trees, Greentech Media
Cape Cod Chamber Supporting Competitive Offshore Wind Development, CapeCod.com News
Construction unions back Bay State Wind project, SouthCoastToday.com
New Massachusetts offshore wind energy auction, and New Jersey project gets a boost, WorkBoat
Solar
WorkinCT: Greenskies bringing solar energy to Connecticut schools, FOX 61
Bifacial Plus Tracking Boosts Solar Energy Yield by 27 Percent, Greentech Media
Low-income housing represents huge solar opportunity, new study from NREL finds, Solar Power World
New Brunswick’s first solar farm located near Sussex, Global News
Energy Efficiency
Rigorous Energy Standards Should Put Massachusetts Growers on Alert for Best Practices, Compliance, Cannabis Business Times
Eversource agreement with Lindt could serve as energy saving template for state, Seacoastonline.com
New York state unveils energy efficient standards, CT Post
Over 100 Groups Call on Gov to Lead Nation on Energy Efficiency, Artvoice
Shining new light on Smith Hill: RI shows off new State House lighting system, WPRI 12 Eyewitness News
Grafton sees cost savings from energy contract, Worcester Telegram
Energy Storage
Energy storage problem dates back to the ol mill pond, Energy Central
Graphene Could Be Next Battery Breakthrough, Renewable Energy World
New Jersey Gets 40 MWh of New Utility-Scale Energy Storage, Renewable Energy World
Report: Gravity-based energy storage could prove cheaper than batteries, Business Green
Tesla is teaming up with BP on an energy storage project, Business Insider
New Jersey could get 2GW of storage to help reach 50% renewables target, Energy Storage News
New York advances REV, moves to bring more energy storage online, Utility Dive
Nuclear
States Are Breathing New Air Into Nuclear Energy To Preserve Jobs And Environment, Forbes
EPSA rails against FirstEnergy emergency request, New Jersey nuke subsidies, Utility Dive
Report: Losing FirstEnergy’s Nuclear Fleet Would Wipe Out Two Decades of Solar and Wind Progress, Greentech Media
C-10 allowed to challenge Seabrook nuclear plant relicensing, Seacoastonline.com
Debate over Millstone rages on, theday.com
Environmentalists and Nuclear Power? It’s Complicated, New York Times
Feds seek financial data on sale of Vermont nuke to private decommissioning firm, MassLive.com
Exelon, FE nuke closures would reverse PJM wind, solar benefits: Brattle report, Utility Dive
MIT Spin-off Faces Daunting Challenges on Path to Build a Fusion Power Plant in 15 Years, IEEE Spectrum
Electric Vehicles
Short term pain for long term gain: EPRI assesses expanding US electrification, Utility Dive
Wireless Charging Seen as a Game Changer for EV Infrastructure, Renewable Energy World
Markets/Grid/Policy/Prices/Etc.
Electricity Demand, Prices Heat Up After 2017 Slowdown, Commercial Property Executive
New State Energy Policy Aims to Lower Rates, Let Nuclear & Gas Compete With Renewables, NHPR
Connecticut utility regulators slash Eversource Energy’s distribution rate hike request, New Haven Register
New Hampshire governor’s energy plan leans on nuclear, gas, Utility Dive
Sen. Murphy calls for investigation into Eversource’s high shutoff rates, The Ridgefield Press
Central Maine Power responds to higher-than-average electricity bills, Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel
Utility Could Set Standard for Reducing Energy Costs, U.S. News & World Report
Exelon, ISO Hopeful on Stopping Proposed Closure, Everett Independent
Northern Pass Back Before NH SEC Next Month, New Hampshire Public Radio
RI regulators ask PUC to slash National Grid’s requested rate hikes, The Providence Journal
Over 500 National Grid Employees to Volunteer on Earth Day, GoLocalProv
Editorial/Opinion
LETTER: Closure of Pilgrim Power Plant would result in additional CO2 emissions, Wicked Local Yarmouth
American energy dominance means Mass. Wind, Boston Globe
Costly infrastructure is driving up Maine’s electricity costs, Bangor Daily News
Getting to grid modernization, CommonWealth Magazine
Editorial: Wishing away our energy challenges, The Providence Journal
My Turn: Matt Brown: Wind turbines off coast can provide energy RI needs, The Providence Journal
Letter: The high price of fracking, Concord Monitor
Op Ed: Offshore Wind Competition Benefits Massachusetts, Cape Cod Today
Letter to the editor: Maine PUC should back offshore wind development, Press Herald
Letter: State, utilities need to take energy strategy seriously, Concord Monitor
Shame on legislators who voted against solar, Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel
Letter: Richard H. Lee: Governor’s criticism of National Grid ignored facts, The Providence Journal
Northeast Energy News 