Vetoed! | Imminent Start | Bug Robot
Happy Friday folks.
Well, we got the answer to last week’s question about whether Governor Baker was going to sign the climate bill or not. Thursday evening he opted for the veto. The good news is that Senate President Spilka and House Speaker Mariano are prepared to refile the bill, but it’s likely to face some significant changes. We have several stories related to this for you below.
According to the Portland Press Herald there are signs of preparation in Maine for the NECEC. “Obscured by a swirling snow squall, an amphibious off-road transporter with 5-foot-high tires maneuvered Friday along the Maine ITS 89 snowmobile trail at the base of Coburn Mountain. At a junction, two workers from Northern Clearing, a Wisconsin-based right-of-way contractor, stepped into the wind and 11-degree cold and secured a sign and pink flagging tape to a small tree. The sign was one of hundreds being erected in remote stretches of northwestern Maine between the Canadian border and The Forks. They will guide crews – likely starting next week – to where they will begin clearing sections of a 53-mile-long corridor through the forest for Central Maine Power’s $1 billion hydroelectric power corridor project, called New England Clean Energy Connect.”
For the new tech feature we have a giant bug for you. From Electrek, “Robots aren’t going to take over the world, but they can definitely make life a lot easier for humans. And that was the aim of BladeBUG, a UK startup that has developed insect-like robots to inspect, maintain, and repair offshore wind turbine blades without the need for rope access…How will the offshore wind industry maintain and repair the giant turbine blades once they’re swooshing through the air, high above the water, without requiring wind turbine workers to dangle precariously above the sea? (Who’s going to want to hang off the giant 14 MW Haliade-X Dogger Bank turbine blades? Yikes.) Not only does the robot make it safer for rope access technicians; it also saves money for the wind turbine companies, as it’s expensive to have humans climb out onto turbine blades.”
That’s the recap for this week. As always enjoy the weekend and stay safe.
Massachusetts Climate Bill
Massachusetts lawmakers prepare to refile climate bill if Gov. Charlie Baker lets clock run out, MassLive
In veto letter, Baker objects to a lot in climate change bill, CommonWealth Magazine
Reluctantly, governor vetoes Mass. climate change bill, but it may soon be back on his desk, Boston Globe
Gov. Charlie Baker vetoes sweeping climate change bill, AP
Massachusetts Gov. Vetoes Bill Calling for Net-Zero Emissions by Midcentury, Greentech Media
Climate Change
Climate coalition wants brighter light on Beacon Hill voting, Herald News
Covid-19 Took a Bite From U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2020, New York Times
Details, timing could lead to climate bill veto, WWLP
The carbon skyscraper: A new way of picturing rapid, human-caused climate change, Washington Post
Renewables/RGGI/TCI
Almost All New US Power Plants Built in 2021 Will Be Carbon-Free, Greentech Media
Clean Energy & COVID-19 Crisis | December 2020 Unemployment Analysis, E2
Wind, solar to make up 70% of new US generation in 2021 while batteries gain momentum: EIA, Utility Dive
Gov. Cuomo pushes wind, solar expansion amid COVID-19 economic downturn, NY Post
Report: Raimondo’s 2030 renewables goal achievable, Providence Journal
2021 Outlook: Will hydrogen experience a breakthrough?, Utility Dive
Wind
To bolster green economy, New York will build nation’s largest offshore wind program, Utility Dive
Power from Mayflower Wind could be cheaper thanks to stimulus bill, Boston Herald
Wind Developers Tout Safety Of Transmission Cables Being Constructed In East Hampton, WSHU (NY)
This ‘bug’ robot will inspect and repair offshore wind turbine blades, Electrek
New York’s Latest Clean Energy Push Includes 2.5GW of Offshore Wind Contracts for Equinor and BP, Greentech Media
Efficiency/Storage
Halt to progress of utility efficiency programs could rob New Hampshire of economic boost, ACEEE Blog
Eversource extends energy incentives to COVID-19 vaccine freezers, Hartford Business Journal
Trump’s DOE Saddles Households with High-Cost, High-Emission Furnaces and Water Heaters, ACEEE
EVS
GM ushers in electric era with ambitious brand refresh, inclusive marketing campaign, Utility Dive
2021 Outlook: The future of electric vehicle charging is bidirectional — but the future isn’t here yet, Utility Dive
Proterra Set To Take Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Business Public via SPAC Transaction, Greentech Media
Nuclear
Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Review Could Signal Federal Repository Approval, The Sand Paper
The social costs of nuclear power plant closure, NEI Magazine
Natural Gas
2021 Outlook: Greening natural gas while planning for service reliability, Utility Dive
Market/Grid/Policy/Prices
Data centers are energy hogs. Could they help power the grid?, Grist
MIT Study: Transmission Is Key to a Low-Cost, Decarbonized US Grid, Greentech Media
New transmission approaches can cut billions in decarbonization costs: MIT, clean energy coalition, Utility Dive
Pearl Street Technologies: A New Way to Optimize the Transmission Grid, Greentech Media
Climate-Proofing Your Home: Improving Your Backup Power Supply, Bloomberg Green
Green economy plans fuel new metals and energy ‘supercycle,’ The Guardian
Report: Renewables Are Suffering From Broken US Transmission Policy, Greentech Media
Northeast Energy News 