Energy News for week ending February 15, 2019

Glacial Changes | Maryland | Moooo

Happy Friday afternoon folks.

We’re starting out this week with a couple of climate change stories.

First, from the New York Times, in what is a graphically cool piece as well as interesting relative to adapting to climate change, is a story about how Switzerland (yeah, I know it’s not the “Northeast”) is rethinking how they use hydropower. Check it out, if for nothing other than the presentation of the information.

Our second climate change story comes from the AP which reports that Matt Fitzpatrick, an ecology professor at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Sciences in Frostburg, Maryland, “looked at 12 different variables for 540 U.S. and Canadian cities under two climate change scenarios to find out what the future might feel like in a way a regular person might understand. He averaged the climate results from 27 different computer models then found the city that most resembles that futuristic scenario.” For those of you in greater Boston and other coastal New England cities, it looks like we’re all going to experience what’s typical weather right now for various areas in Maryland. For those that reside inland, your weather is more west. For example, Burlington, VT will feel like Taylorville, IL and Hartford, CT like Sikeston, MO. All in all it looks warmer and wetter. The link to the interactive map is https://fitzlab.shinyapps.io/cityapp/

Last story for this week is from Seven Days in Vermont about cheese – Cabot Creamery’s farms to be specific. While this long read has a lot of details about their operations including “Fitbits for cows” (who knew?) there is a section on their energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. “Consider electricity: Fairmont’s East Montpelier milking parlor is active nearly 24-7…Fairmont recently installed energy-efficient LED lighting in its barns, recommended by Efficiency Vermont. And it now has solar panels on the roofs. The company that installed the panels last year now sells power to the farm at a reduced rate. Ayer expects that arrangement to shave 11 percent off the farm’s annual power bill. Gladstone noted that Newmont runs on alternative energy, too. The farm worked with Green Mountain Power, Catamount Solar and Yankee Farm Credit to install a solar array in Fairlee that produces 50 percent of the farm’s power…Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport generates some of its energy using a wind turbine, but the cows there also create some renewable energy of their own — with help from a biodigester. The digester provides the right environment for the manure to break down and release methane gas, which in turn powers a generator producing renewable electricity for Vermont homes and businesses. Aptly dubbed “Cow Power,” it’s available to Green Mountain Power customers, who can choose to pay an extra four cents per kilowatt for it; the money flows back to the farm.” So this weekend when you might be enjoying some wine and cheese, you can say that you’re supporting renewable energy and helping to keep us the heck out of Maryland.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy the long weekend.

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

Holyoke utility, citing pipeline constraints, halts natural gas hookups, CommonWealth Magazine

Enbridge wins lawsuit over town’s opposition to compressor station, Reuters

Legislators want gas system study, Newport Daily News

National Grid pays out $360K to those affected by Newport gas outage, WPRI 12

State to consider reopening door for proposed Killingly natural gas plant, The Day

Enbridge gave Massachusetts studies by climate denier, ALEC associate in gas project assessment, NationofChange

Salem YMCA closed following gas explosion outside, Salem News

Head Of Mass. Pipeline Safety Division Stepping Down, WBUR

Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI

Report recommends action to transition to a clean-energy economy for New England, Portland Press Herald