Energy News for week ending October 5, 2018

No Free Lunch | 8 Years in a Row | Hydrophobic

Happy Friday afternoon everyone.

Here are some highlights from the news this week.

From the AP we have, No free lunch for renewables: More wind power would warm US. “Ramping up wind power in America would also dial up the nation’s temperatures, a new study out of Harvard found. While wind energy is widely celebrated as environmentally friendly, the researchers concluded that a dramatic, all-out expansion in the number of turbines could warm the country even more than climate change from burning coal and other fossil fuels, because of the way the spinning blades disturb the layers of warm and cold air in the atmosphere…Some parts of the central United States are already seeing nights that are up to 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) warmer because of nearby wind farms…The researchers and other scientists stressed that climate change from greenhouse gas emissions is clearly a far bigger threat globally and over the long term than turbine-caused warming, which is temporary and stops when the blades aren’t turning. Despite the potential drawbacks, wind energy still makes more sense for the environment than fossil fuels, Keith said.”

Would we expect anything different? MassLive reports that, For 8th year, Mass. named most energy-efficient state in the nation. “For the eighth year running, Massachusetts has been named the most energy-efficient state in the nation. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, which issues the annual scorecard, noted utility-led programs such as Mass Save, “stretch building codes” for cities and towns, incentives for combined heat and power, and standards for state buildings…The scorecard measures six categories, including utility programs, transportation, building energy codes, combined heat and power, state government policies, and appliance standards. Massachusetts in 2016 approved a three-year energy efficiency plan. In 2017, $740 million in investments yielded $2.6 billion in savings…”

From the new energy technology file we bring you a story from Popular Mechanics, A New Hydrophobic Surface Could Turn the Ocean’s Waves Into Electricity. “There’s waterproof and then there’s the surface developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego. They’ve developed a surface so hydrophobic that it can actually be used to generate electrical voltage, turning seawater into 50 millivolts (or around 0.05 volts)…The created surface holds a negative electrical charge, so when the positive ions in salt water move over the surface an electrical potential difference is created. That difference creates a voltage…Although it’s just a proof of concept, the idea becomes impressive when deployed on a much larger scale. There’s a lot of ocean water out there, and the team hopes that it could be used for energy harvesting methods through desalination plants. From ions to waves, there’s a lot of potential energy in the water that covers 70 percent of the planet, and these hydrophobic surfaces could help tap into that energy.”

More news is below. Have a great long weekend.

Merrimack Valley

Disaster could be a turning point in energy debate, Eagle Tribune

State rep seeks Western Massachusetts public hearings on Columbia Gas after Merrimack Valley explosions, MassLive

After Baker tasked Eversource with Merrimack Valley response, executives cut checks to his campaign, Boston Globe

After Dozens of Gas Explosions, a Community Looks for Alternatives to Natural Gas, Inside Climate News

Longmeadow considering moratorium on Columbia Gas construction, citing recent explosions, MassLive

Columbia Gas pulling workers from other states amid tight labor market, Boston Globe

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

DPU presses Natl. Grid on alleged violations, CommonWealth Magazine

Northampton City Council resolves to oppose gas pipelines, Hampshire Gazette

Power plant hearings delayed as regulators consider request to cancel contract, Valley Breeze