More Wind off Mass. | Price Volatility this Winter | Say it isn’t so!
Happy Friday afternoon. Let’s get to the news
From MassLive, “Nearly 400,000 acres of the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area will be up for grabs in December, as the Trump administration holds its next offshore wind auction, officials announced this week. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke revealed Wednesday that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will auction off 388,569 acres located on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore Massachusetts on Dec. 13. A total of 19 companies — including Deepwater Wind New England, LLC, Mayflower Wind Energy LLC, and Northeast Wind Energy, LLC, among others — have qualified to take part in the auction, according to the agency’s final sale notice.”
According to S&P Global Platts, “Regional pipeline constraints in New York City, Boston and Los Angeles increase the risk of energy market price volatility this coming winter, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Thursday… New England continued to be a potential trouble spot, amid growing gas dependence for home heating and generation and constrained pipeline capacity, FERC staff said. Two rule changes could help, however, said John Sillin of FERC’s enforcement office. ISO-NE is integrating price-response demand into the daily energy market and adding pay-for-performance capacity market incentives… Reflecting on the New England market, Commissioner Richard Glick suggested a need to look at more demand-side management to ‘squeeze more out of the market … if we’re not going to get more pipelines for one reason or another.’”
And last for this week, please say it isn’t so! From Nature, “Extreme weather caused by climate change can have devastating effects — and it turns out that not even beer is safe. More frequent droughts and heat waves in the twenty-first century will reduce global production of barley, finds a study published on 15 October in Nature Plants. In turn, it finds, this will decrease the supply of beer and drive up prices, even under best-case-scenario models of climate change… If people ‘want to drink beer when we watch football, then we have to do something’ …”
Have a great weekend.
Merrimack Valley
Columbia Gas says it has paid out $20M for gas explosion claims, Boston Business Journal
Locked-out Grid workers cleared to help in Merrimack Valley, Newburyport Daily News
Columbia Gas reverses policy, will not reclaim temporary heat sources from homes, Eagle Tribune
Massachusetts DPU halts statewide pipeline work by Columbia Gas, MassLive
NTSB: Columbia Gas ignored critical pressure sensor, Eagle-Tribune
Columbia Gas launches plan to support businesses impacted by gas disaster, MassLive
After Merrimack Valley explosions, natural gas comes under sharp scrutiny, Boston Globe
Merrimack Valley explosions intensify calls to wean state off gas, Boston Globe
A Month Later, Crisis In Merrimack Valley Continues, WGBH
Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling
Ceremony to commission controversial Oxford power plant, Middletown Press
Oxford power plant is commissioned, The Advocate
Environmentalists look to cut fossil fuel usage, National Wind Watch
Generation: Despite headwinds, natural gas reliance set to grow in much of US, Utility Dive
Can Non-Pipeline Alternatives Curb New York’s Rising Natural Gas Demand?, Greentech Media
Quincy council summons National Grid president amid lockout, Patriot Ledger
Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI
Natick Awarded Grant for Municipal Clean Energy Projects, USA Patch
City Council seeks legal opinion on permits for controversial East Springfield biomass power plant, MassLive
Environmentalists look to cut fossil fuel usage, The Telegraph
Democratic lawmakers push renewable energy strategy, New Hampshire Union Leader
RGGI regulating power imports could happen, experts say, carbon-pulse.com
NYISO Proposes Border Pricing Plan for Carbon, RTO Insider
UMass Amherst Again Ranked among Top 50 Green Colleges by Princeton Review, UMass Amherst
Officials push for ‘green’ power projects for Woonsocket, Woonsocket Call
EPA program will prioritize renewable energy projects in Mass., Boston Business Journal (subscriber content)
U.S. greenhouse emissions fell in 2017 as coal plants shut, Reuters
Climate change is about to make your beer more expensive, Nature
Mass. clean energy firms grow headcount amid green tech boom, Boston Business Journal (subscriber content)
Walsh Outlines Plan To Protect Boston Harbor From Flooding, WBUR
Campaign Countdown: Vermont’s energy future, WCAX
Wind
Trump administration to hold Massachusetts offshore wind auction in December, Masslive
What New England Can Learn From Kansas About Creating A Wind Energy Economy, WNPR
Offshore wind CEO bullish on American market, Axios
Report: Moving disputed Falmouth turbine would cost $3M, Cape Cod Times
What’s next for Falmouth turbines?, Cape Cod Times
Tug Hill alliance grows, secures funds for wind farm review, National Wind Watch
Denton pitches wind turbine on City Hall, Seacoastonline.com
Relocation of Falmouth turbine could net town $5.7M, Cape Cod Times
New Site Proposed For Wind 2 At Wastewater Treatment Plant, Falmouth Enterprise
Solar
Residents express few concerns at public hearing on Farmington solar project, Kennebec Journal
Norwich tinkerer takes on do-it-yourself solar energy system, The Day
Wind & Solar Account for At Least 20% Of Electricity In 10 States, CleanTechnica
Bill threatens growth of state solar farms, Republican American
New York State Invests $40 Million in Solar Energy and Storage Projects, Energy Manager Today
Residential outcry causes Pittsfield ZBA to delay vote, continue hearing next month on 25-acre solar proposal, Berkshire Eagle
What a New Order Means for Community Solar and Storage in Massachusetts, Greentech Media
Energy Efficiency/Storage
Massachusetts Retains Top Spot on ACEEE State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, ACHR News
MA Ranked 5th Most Energy Efficient State in U.S., GoLocalWorcester
NH gets mixed reviews on energy efficiency, New Hampshire Business Review
RI is 4th Most Energy Efficient State in U.S., GoLocalProv
Bringing Energy Storage to Energy Markets, Union of Concerned Scientists
EVs
Electric Vehicles: The Swiss army knife of the grid, Utility Dive
A Microgrid for Every Electric Bus Stop in Martha’s Vineyard Town, Microgrid Knowledge
Nuclear
NRC approves Vermont Yankee sale, Brattleboro Reformer
NRC allows spending $20M on Vt. Yankee spent fuel, The Recorder
After federal OK, one hurdle remains for Vermont Yankee transfer, Keene Sentinel
Entergy targets post-shutdown savings at Pilgrim after key NRC approval, Nuclear Energy Insider
Markets/Grid/Policy/Prices/Etc.
US FERC winter outlook flags risk of volatility in NYC, Boston, Los Angeles, S&P Global Platts
Utility to run line under Kennebec Gorge, CommonWealth Magazine
Gloucester signs new electricity provider, Gloucester Times
On eve of hearing, business and labor groups say they back CMP power line through western Maine, Portland Press Herald
Report challenges environmental benefits of CMP project, Portland Press Herald
Great Bay Towns Turn Out Against Transmission Line, New Hampshire Public Radio
Seacoast Reliability Project decision expected by early December, Seacoastonline.com
Norwalk Harbor Commission turns to consultant on Eversource cable route, The Hour
Quincy council subpoenas National Grid president, Patriot Ledger
Powerline from Canada through NH, eyed for Mass. clean energy, not dead yet, MassLive
Conn. company is accused of overcharging more than 100K Mass. residents for electricity, Boston Globe
NY regulators weigh proposals to enhance distributed generation, Utility Dive
US FERC`s LaFleur says some power grid security interventions `commercially motivated,’ Energy Central
Editorial/Opinion
Want Boston To Be A Carbon-Neutral City? Raise Energy Efficiency Standards For Buildings, WBUR
We need more, not less, competition for offshore wind, CommonWealth Magazine
Letter: Sununu has been a stumbling block to offshore wind, Eagle-Tribune
Letter to the editor: Renewable electricity worth some sacrifices, Portland Press Herald
Efficiency is the most affordable energy solution, by Nancy Gillard, Keene Sentinel
National Grid lockout puts profit first, workers and safety last, Boston Globe
Baker, DeLeo need to step up on climate change, CommonWealth Magazine
In an era of climate urgency, we need a carbon tax, Boston Globe
Vehicle emissions rollback shouldn’t stop utilities from investing in electric vehicles, Utility Dive
Northeast Energy News 