Fossil Ban | November 26 Deadline | Humble Chairlift
It’s Friday so let’s get to the news.
There were several town meetings in Massachusetts this week during which residents could vote on energy-related measures. Perhaps the most interesting took place in Brookline. From the Boston Globe, “Seeking to reduce a major source of carbon emissions, Brookline residents have voted to ban the installation of oil and gas pipes in new buildings as well as in extensive renovations of existing buildings — the first such prohibition in Massachusetts. The controversial bylaw would require homeowners and developers to install heat, hot water, and appliances that use electricity. Only three of more than 200 Town Meeting members voted against the measure Wednesday…The new bylaw, which must still be approved by the state attorney general’s office, is part of a growing movement around the country to curb the use of fossil fuels in buildings. It was modeled after similar measures adopted in communities throughout California.” Speaking of California, Bloomberg reports, “Restaurateurs have a message for local governments banning the use of natural gas in new homes and businesses: Say goodbye to good food. The California Restaurant Association is warning that the flame-seared meat and charred vegetables that foodies have grown so accustomed to ordering will become a thing of the past in Berkeley, California, which in July became the first city in America to end new gas hook-ups in an effort to curb global-warming emissions. The group is suing the city in federal court.”
We’re going to stick with gas and turn our sights to New York, where a November 26th deadline is looming for National Grid. From Politico, “As winter sets in, state officials are turning up the heat on National Grid to find solutions to its moratorium on new natural gas service. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has threatened to start a legal process to revoke the utility’s license — a negotiating tactic he’s used before, with some results — and Attorney General Tish James is gathering customer complaints in an ongoing investigation. A standoff over a controversial pipeline that Grid says is needed to meet demand continues, but the utility is expected to propose alternatives next week and offer a public defense of its actions.”
For this week’s energy innovation we bring you a story from Grist, “How the humble chairlift could revolutionize renewable energy. What do you see when you imagine a zero-carbon future? Electric buses zipping by? Rolling hills covered with solar panels? Offshore wind farms towering over the sea? If batteries are part of your vision, good thinking. But there’s a promising, if whimsical, piece of the renewable energy puzzle that might be missing from your mental picture: the world of gravity energy storage…Generating electricity using gravity is hardly a new concept…A “pumped-storage” hydroelectric plant draws excess energy from the grid and uses it to pump water back up into an elevated reservoir where it can fall again…But who needs water when there are all kinds of things we can slide down a mountain or drop off a cliff? Really, you can use almost any material for gravity energy storage, as long as it’s heavy, cheap, and you can figure out how to transport it up and down a steep slope…‘Mountain Gravity Energy Storage…involves a ski-lift-style cable that carries huge bins of sand up and down a mountain. The sand gets stored in an enormous vessel at the top, and when the grid needs extra energy, it’s sent down the mountain, pulled by the force of gravity, thereby powering an electric generator. Depending on the amount of sand, the height of the mountain, and the speed of the fall, the authors estimate that it can generate electricity for anywhere from five to 555 days.” Do check out this story. It has some very interesting videos and graphics.
That’s the recap for this week. Enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday. We’ll be back in your inboxes in two weeks on December 6th.
Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling
Pressure mounts on National Grid for alternatives to moratorium, Politico
America’s war over natural gas hits home in New York, Axios
Gas projects galore at FERC, Politico
U.S. senators call for 11th-hour review of compressor station proposal, Patriot Ledger
The Keystone Pipeline oil leak is almost 10 times worse than initially thought, CNN
Columbia Gas hit on lack of information, Eagle Tribune
New York’s last coal plant expected online through winter, says NYISO, despite shutdown plans, Utility Dive
Should Cities Phase Out Gas Appliances and Require New Buildings to Be All Electric?, Wall St. Journal
California Restaurants Warn Natural-Gas Ban Takes Seared Steak Off the Table, Bloomberg
In a first for Massachusetts, Brookline votes to ban oil and gas pipes in new buildings, Boston Globe
Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI
Sanders, Warren join fellow senators in urging New England to speed clean energy transition, Utility Dive
More claims of greenwashing at major US electric utilities, PV Magazine
How the humble chairlift could revolutionize renewable energy, Grist
What it takes to be carbon neutral — for a family, a city, a country, Washington Post
Homes to Sell Renewable Energy to Businesses in Vermont’s First of a Kind Local Energy Marketplace, Microgrid Knowledge
Amherst Town Council all in on climate goals, Daily Hampshire Gazette
As Climate Risk Grows, Cities Test a Tough Strategy: Saying ‘No’ to Developers, New York Times
‘Climate emergency’ is Oxford dictionary’s Word of the Year 2019, BBC
Warming waters spell more bad news for New England shrimp, Boston Herald
Worcester’s Petty, other mayors push state to go 100% renewable, Telegram
Scientists meeting in Portland say right whales on the way to extinction, Portland Press Herald
Cap and Trade Is Supposed to Solve Climate Change, but Oil and Gas Company Emissions Are Up, ProPublica
Portland councilors to consider student-led ‘climate emergency’ resolution, Portland Press Herald
Poll Finds Massachusetts Residents See Climate Change As A Real Worry, WAMC
Climate change challenging Massachusetts oyster fishery, Daily Hampshire Gazette
CT lawmakers earn high marks for environmental efforts, Connecticut Post
Scientists discuss climate change impacts on R.I. natural environment, Westerly Sun
Lawmakers, Criticizing Wolf’s Executive Order On Joining Cap-And-Trade Program, Say It’s Their Call, WESA (PA)
NYC pension leader targets three utilities over emissions plans, Reuters
NYC clean energy advocates push for competitive RFP for new renewable development, Solar Power World
Ashland Town Meeting commits to being net-zero by 2040 to combat climate change, MetroWest Daily News
Democrats move to take 100% clean energy push national with new bill, Utility Dive
Wind
Anbaric Files Application For Offshore Transmission Network, WBUR
Top climate hawk bashes first big offshore wind project, E&E News
Vineyard Wind CEO sees both New London and Bridgeport as viable wind hubs, The Day
Wind Speeds Are Increasing Worldwide in Boost for Renewables, Bloomberg
Wind farm developers revise spacing of turbines off R.I. coast, Southcoasttoday.com
Many fishermen aren’t on board with wind industry’s new plan, Boston Globe
RI official applauds wind farm layout announcement, CommonWealth Magazine
Weighing the cost off offshore wind, WNYT
A Hush-Hush Wind Powwow, The East Hampton Star
New Jersey More Than Doubles Offshore Wind Target to 7.5GW, Greentech Media
Can America’s First Floating Wind Farm Help Open Deeper Water to Clean Energy?, Inside Climate News
Solar
National Grid: 300MW of Halted Solar Can Move Forward With ‘No Cost,’ Greentech Media
Aldermen allow solar project at Manchester landfill for 5% cut, New Hampshire Union Leader
Two years after turning it down, Merrimack to reconsider solar tax exemptions, New Hampshire Union Leader
Bangor proposes installing solar array near airport, WABI
Fast Times for the US Residential Solar Market, Greentech Media
Energy Efficiency/Storage
Utility-scale storage critical to achieving Massachusetts carbon goals: UMass study, Utility Dive
How to Ensure Energy Storage Policies Are Equitable, Union of Concerned Scientists
New device can capture, store energy from the sun, UPI.com
Report by Brattle Economists Evaluates Effectiveness of Energy Efficiency Administrator Models, (Press Release) PR Newswire
Efficiency to meet peak demand? New study considers potential beyond energy savings,Utility Dive
EVs/Alt Transportation
Ford Unveils Electric Mustang SUV to Challenge Tesla Dominance, Bloomberg
Future BMW electric cars will be powered by cow poop, CNET
Electric trucks may be the future, but waste and recycling market still charging up, Utility Dive
MIT Study: Energy-Efficient Cars, Public Transportation Are Best Options For Traffic And The Planet, WBUR
Rooftop solar panels charge your car while you’re driving, The Hill
Nuclear
Should the Government Subsidize Nuclear Power? Advocates Square Off, Wall Street Journal
How Well Do You Know Nuclear Power? Take Our Quiz., Wall Street Journal
Market/Grid/Policy/Prices
PJM, NYISO and ISO-NE pay $1.4B annually for excess capacity: Report, Utility Dive
National Grid’s push to clear-cut trees opposed, Salem News
Invenergy declines to appeal. Their proposed power plant is dead., Uprise RI
NSP working to dispel misinformation about smart meters as installation gets underway, Cape Breton Post (Nova Scotia)
New Report Shows Homes Will Be Utility “Grid,” Code Watcher
State fires National Grid auditor over alleged report irregularities, Newsday.com
Will New Jersey Lawmakers Step up for Microgrids before the Next Disaster?, Microgrid Knowledge
Leading environmental group denounces de Blasio’s Canadian power line, Crains NY
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren Demand Changes at Grid Operator ISO New England, Greentech Media
Senate Committee Approves $250 Million to Fund the Electric Grid Security, Nextgov
1st Circ. Won’t Re-Hear $3B Utilities Price-Fixing Row, Law360
National Grid Looks to AI to Prevent Damage to Its Gas Pipelines, Wall Street Journal
National Grid fallout hits other utilities, Crain’s New York
Read complete coverage of our investigation into CMP billing problems, Portland Press Herald
Two rural electric co-ops seek rate increases, VTDigger
Community Choice Aggregators on the Rise as an Alternative Electricity Provider, National Law Review
Editorial/Opinion
Lamont’s Executive Order 3 on climate change is too little, too late, Connecticut Mirror
Commentary: Gas pipeline embargo stifles growth, hurts New Yorkers, Times Union
Utilities — Like Eversource And National Grid — Are Weak Links In Climate Defense, WGBH
Building a wind industry across Connecticut, The Day
Climate change and dark money, Boston Globe
Impact of offshore wind on fisheries unknown, Cape Cod Times
Commentary: Offshore wind farm projects would destroy ocean views, Delaware State News
Cross Sound Ferry flips out over wind assembly plans, The Day via National Wind Watch
Northeast Energy News 