Carbon Tax | Solar Limbo | StEnSea
Happy Friday afternoon.
We start we a story from the Concord Monitor, “New England Power Generators pushing for a carbon tax. A utility group representing most of the power plants in New England is supporting the idea of a tax on the carbon content of emissions, an idea supported by many economists as the simplest and most market-based way to reduce greenhouse gas production. The report by Cavicchi and Paul Hibbard of the Analysis Group for New England Power Generators Association says a price of between $25 and $70 per ton of CO2 in emissions would drive changes in electricity production, transportation and heating that could meet the region’s emissions targets. A carbon tax would raise the price of gasoline and heating oil, spurring a switch to electric vehicles and electric heat pumps. As the power grid comes cleaner with more renewable energy, that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This strategy, often placed under the slogan ‘electrify everything,’ is a major plank in many proposals to fight the climate emergency. The report argues that total spending would also decline by switching to electrified transportation and heating, saving customers money.”
Next up is a story from PineTreeWatch.org, “6,000 Maine solar projects remain in limbo due to uncertainty over federal decision on net metering petition. The fate of net metering in New England — and across the United States — remains unknown, but resistance to its erasure is mounting. More than 450 organizations, 57,000 individuals and 37 states submitted comments opposing a petition that could set a national precedent and end a billing practice that credits users for investing in solar. Twenty-two organizations and individuals filed support for the proposal. The public comment window ended on June 15. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has not yet set a date to rule on the petition, which was filed by the New England Ratepayers Association in April…Maine Gov. Janet Mills was among those who spoke out against the petition, asking commissioners to ‘outright dismiss this petition.’ More than 6,000 ongoing projects in Maine rely on the benefits of net metering and the petition ‘would put at risk Maine’s existing renewable energy programs and the economic benefits enjoyed by thousands of citizens,’ Mills wrote in a letter to FERC. The Maine Public Utilities Commission and Maine Office of the Public Advocate also issued statements opposing the petition. ‘We’re not going away,’ said Barry Hobbins, Maine’s Public Advocate, whose job is to look out for the interests of public utility customers in Maine. ‘This could really undercut the solar industry.’”
For our new technology feature we look to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, “Energy storage at sea could enable full transition to renewable power. A new form of pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH) has been developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology in Germany. The project, entitled Storing Energy at Sea (StEnSea), uses concrete spheres anchored on the seafloor. To store energy, water is pumped out of the spheres, against the pressure of the surrounding seawater. When the energy is required, water is allowed to flow back into the spheres, driving turbines. No upper reservoir or transmission pipe is required since the surrounding seawater provides the necessary water pressure. When compared to conventional PSH, the need for land is eliminated and structures are minimised. It eliminates the danger of dam collapse and improves storage efficiency since evaporation from the upper reservoir does not reduce the energy stored. It is proposed that spheres with a diameter of 30m would be located at a depth of 700m, giving a nominal storage capacity of 27MWh. When the actual internal volume and operating efficiency of the system are taken into account, this configuration is expected to yield 18.3MWh storage capacity with a peak power output of 5MW.”
That’s the recap for this week. Have a great weekend and as always, stay safe.
Energy Efficiency/Storage
ACEEE highlights 10 building energy performance standards to help meet climate goals, Utility Dive
New York Power Authority, Signify upgrade 500K streetlights statewide, Utility Dive
FEATURE: Energy storage at sea could enable full transition to renewable power, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Bring-Your-Own-Batteries and EV Chargers: The Future of Distributed Energy Integration?, Greentech Media
Climate Change/Renewables/RGGI
New England Power Generators pushing for a carbon tax, Concord Monitor
Corporate carbon reduction targets get boost with new EEI, WRI utility emission rate tool, Utility Dive
Much of New York City’s generation needs to be displaced to reach state renewables target, agencies say, Utility Dive
US public opinion supports action on climate change — and has for years, Vox.com
Emissions reduction bill clears Senate committee, VT Digger
The Energy 202: House Democrats push aid for wind and solar in new infrastructure bill, Washington Post
Why Tackle Climate Change? To Save Craft Beer and Outdoor Sports, Greentech Media
Wind
Health board hopes to hold hearing ‘when feasible’ on wind turbines, Wicked Local Plymouth
Wind farm-related relocation of Connecticut fishermen stirs funding debate, Undercurrent News
New London and Connecticut Port Authority again at odds on funding, the Day
In New York, The Town Of Freedom Isn’t Free From Big Wind, Forbes.com
Trump administration wind and solar approvals lag Obama record: study, Reuters
Deep in the Heart of Texas, a Chinese Wind Farm Raises Eyebrows, Foreign Policy
Solar
6,000 Maine solar projects remain in limbo due to uncertainty over federal decision on net metering petition, Pine Tree Watch
Trapping the sun: New thin-film technology uses sustainable components for solar panels, Phys.org
GMP has app to let customers support small biz and nonprofits, Rutland Herald
BlackRock Leads $50M Investment Into Off-Grid Solar Technology That Generates Water, Greentech Media
Environmental Group Pursues Residential Solar Mandate in 10 States, Greentech Media
EVs
State Expanding Clean Car Rebates to Commercial Fleets, State House News Service (subscriber content)
Apple Maps gets electric vehicle routing to find EV chargers, Techcrunch
Ford aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, The Verge
Nuclear
Citizens’ Panel Reviews Pilgrim Nuclear Settlement, WCAI
Local leaders like Pilgrim deal but want more for Plymouth, Wicked Local Plymouth
Report: Company Decommissioning Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Under Criminal Investigation, WBUR
Truck hauling empty Vermont Yankee waste containers tips over, WCAX
Judge Orders Decommissioning Temporarily Halted at Former Nuclear Plant, (NJ) The Sandpaper
Gas
Report cites slow progress fixing gas leaks, Salem News
Columbia Gas Ordered To Pay $53M Fine For Merrimack Valley Explosions, WBUR
UPDATE: Federal judge formally sentences Columbia Gas for Merrimack Valley disaster, Eagle Tribune
LNG shipments by rail OK’d in US amid pipeline battles, Gloucester Times
PG&E First Major Utility to Support State Bans on Natural Gas, Bloomberg Law
Market/Grid/Policy/Prices
Feds OK $140 million fuel subsidy for New England power plants in winter, Concord Monitor
Black households pay more for energy than white households: analysis, The Hill
Norwich Public Utilities continues to see impacts of COVID-19 on customers, The Day
What is Transactive Energy and Why is it Important to Microgrids?, Microgrid Knowledge
CMP Transmission Line Faces New Legal Challenges, Including One Over Public Lands, Maine Public
Trump’s Grid Order Baffles Utilities Over What They Can Buy, Yahoo! Finance
Opinion
Op-Ed: Off-shore wind can still power Massachusetts, Boston Business Journal
Our view: South Jersey to get another piece of state’s offshore wind industry, Press of Atlantic City
MY VIEW: Storage of spent nuclear fuel a matter of public safety, Cape Cod Times
The truth about the future of gas: We don’t need to build anymore, Utility Dive
Hard truths about net metering and the perils of regulatory nihilism, Utility Dive
Rural New York pays price as NYC benefits, Times Union
Will New Jersey’s New Wind Port Be A Game Changer Or A Financial Boondoggle?, Forbes.com
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