Tag Archives: Connecticut

We have quite a few stories below about CT’s new legislation aimed at requiring utilities to pay up if power isn’t restored after 96 hours among other penalties and incentives. This article won the headline war though, Electric rate hikes as a result of new law? ‘Ludicrous…propaganda.’ (Middletown Press)

With election day fast approaching, things are heating up in Maine over the Clean Energy Connect power line. Despite this story from the Press Herald New England Clean Energy Connect may start construction in November, despite opposition, there is this report from the Bangor Daily News CMP could have hard 2021 in Augusta as legislative hopefuls turn against corridor.

For a new technology story this week, we alert you to Bringing the chill of the cosmos to a warming planet “Scientists are tapping into a law of physics to create cooling systems that work without special fuel or electricity.” (Washington Post)

That’s the recap for this week. Enjoy the long weekend, and as always, stay safe.

Efficiency/Storage

GMP energy storage program saves customers millions, WCAX

Once shut out, Maine cannabis industry now eligible for sustainable energy grants, Press Herald

Will the Distributed Energy Revolution Leave Renters Behind?, Greentech Media

Climate Change/Renewables/RGGI

RI Updates 2030 Load and Renewables Forecast, RTO Insider

DOE study: Solar-hydro projects could power 40% of world, E&E News

National Grid sees hydrogen as a lynchpin, joins utilities targeting net zero carbon by 2050, Utility Dive

Boston near top in new clean energy scorecard, WHDH

Coalition: Avoided Deaths, Asthma Cases Underscore Need for TCI, State House News Service

Transportation and Climate Initiative gets corporate push, Worcester Business Journal

Can the US Catch Up in the Green Hydrogen Economy,? Greentech Media

MBTA embracing renewable energy, CommonWealth Magazine

Bringing the chill of the cosmos to a warming planet, Washington Post

Job losses in renewables sector total 75,669; clean energy losses at 477,862: report, S&P Global

Wind, solar smash records. But analysts worry it won’t last, E&E News (subscriber content)

Long-delayed Trump administration study finds that climate change threatens polar bears, Washington Post

Is Wave Energy Ready to Climb Out of the ‘Valley of Death’?, Greentech Media

Second wave: Ocean Power Technologies’ power-grid plan sank, but it grabbed life preserver by switching focus to niche offshore systems, ROI-NJ

Jaffrey’s MilliporeSigma unveils new $14.4M wastewater treatment plant, Keene Sentinel

Wind

UMaine continues to develop floating concrete wind turbine, WBAI TV

European developers build out dominance in US offshore wind race, S&P Global

Ørsted to Host Three Virtual Open Houses: Offer Updates on the Progress of the Ocean Wind Offshore Wind Project, tapinto.net

Solar

Plymouth Planning Board considers solar fields on bogs, Wicked Local Plymouth

Company eyes solar farm at New England Dragway, seacoastonline.com

Marsh Sanctuary alleges special treatment for proposed Mount Kisco solar farm, Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals

Oregon solar company eyes two projects in Rutland Town, Rutland Herald

EVs

Vermont offering up to $5,000 towards purchase of energy efficient used car, St. Albans Messenger

New kind of ride in Beverly, Beverly officials charged up about first electric school bus, Salem News

Electric Trash Trucks Are Coming Quietly to Your Town, Wall St. Journal

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

Lynch: FBI To Investigate Possibility of Cyberattack At Weymouth Compressor, WBUR

Weymouth officials, residents want to see gas company’s emergency plan, Patriot Ledger

State approves $56 million settlement with Columbia Gas for Merrimack Valley gas explosions, Boston Globe

Nuclear

Bill Gates-backed nuclear fusion pioneer: ‘We can fill the gaps left by wind and solar,’ Recharge

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

Grid operator calls for ‘net carbon pricing,’ CommonWealth Magazine

R.I.’s Climate Crisis Means Higher Energy Bills and Less Work, EcoRI

After a summer of widespread outages and rising rates, anger at utility companies explodes on the campaign trail, Hartford Courant

Massachusetts City Plans “Microgrid without Borders,” Microgrid Knowledge

CT Utility Reform Bill Passes: Here’s What It Means For Customers, Patch.com

A new bill requires Connecticut utility companies to pay up when the power is out for an extended period. Here are 7 ways it affects customers., Hartford Courant

Electric rate hikes as a result of new law? ‘Ludicrous…propaganda,’ Middletown Press

New England Clean Energy Connect may start construction in November, despite opposition, Press Herald

CMP could have hard 2021 in Augusta as legislative hopefuls turn against corridor, Bangor Daily News

Five First Nations file brief with DOE opposing New England Clean Energy Connect, Energy Central

Mayor: Plan will lower residents’ electric bills, Eagle Tribune

Inside the Utility Company Lobbying Blitz That Will Hike Electric Bills, ProPublica

How to Prepare for Increased Energy Disruptions Due to Extreme Weather, NY1

Power-buying policy still an open question in NJ, NJ Spotlight

Opinion

Opinion: A clean energy future for Connecticut, CT Post

NY needs clean renewable energy like Québec hydropower, Altamont Enterprise

Maine Voices: Canada’s ‘Atlantic Loop’ power grid could bring big value to Maine, CentralMaine.com

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Filed under Climate Change, Electric Grid, Electricity Costs, Energy Efficiency, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News

Tagged as Central Maine Power, Connecticut, Green Hydrogen, New England Clean Energy Connect, offshore wind, solar, Wave energy

August 28, 2020 · 7:49 am

Energy News for week ending August 28, 2020

Doesn’t Have to Happen | OSW Coalition | Paint it Black

Happy Friday folks.

Coming at you early this week.

Let’s start with news from the CT Mirror, which is perhaps one of the best explainer articles we have read in a while. It’s certainly worth sharing. Kudos to Jan Ellen Spiegel for her great reporting. “CT keeps losing power when storms strike. But that doesn’t have to happen. As the power outages from Tropical Storm Isaias piled up in every single community in Connecticut on Aug. 4, the finger pointing began. The utilities were seen as unprepared, leading critics to suggest they should pay for everything from snapped poles to spoiled food. But even if Eversource and United Illuminating had stationed armies of repair crews ready to roll as soon as it was safe, the high likelihood is that all that power would still have gone out. Arguably the questions Isaias begs are not who to blame and how to punish them, energy experts say, but ‘How do we keep the lights on?’ The answers may require a good bit of soul searching, not just by the utility villains of the moment, but by state officials, lawmakers, advocates, and residents themselves, who for years have focused on short-term costs and electric rates instead of long-term solutions that could eventually lower those rates and provide more storm resilience.”

When it comes to getting things done, the saying goes there is strength in numbers. Hence a new coalition has been formed to support offshore wind, From the Cape Cod Times, “Coalition formed to further offshore wind initiatives. Sena Wazer addressed the online press conference announcing a new coalition supporting offshore wind through the eyes of a 16-year-old peering into a potentially bleak future. ‘I’m fearful for my future,’ the co-founder of the Sunrise Movement in Connecticut said. ‘In 10 years, when I’m only 26, I don’t know if I’ll have a safe planet to live on.’ Experts describe actions taken in the next decade as critical to staving off the worst-case global warming scenarios. This summer gave us an inkling of how bad it could get, with unbearably long heat waves and drought in the Northeast and California wildfires in the West… ‘This crisis will only go away if we commit to do everything in our power to make sure we have a livable home going forward,’ Wazer said. It was that sense of urgency that impelled environmentalists, businesses, researchers and labor unions to form New England for Offshore Wind, a coalition focused on pushing state legislatures and governors in the region to make commitments by 2022 to offshore wind farms that could provide for one third of the region’s power needs.”

Our “new technology” of the week is less about tech but is effective none the less. From E&E News, “Study: Black turbine blades reduced bird mortality by 72%. Painting one of a wind turbine’s three blades black led to a dramatic decline in bird mortality along the Norwegian coast, new research shows. Bird death from turbine collisions dropped by 71.9% where a turbine blade was black, compared with unpainted turbines at the same wind farm, according to findings published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Ecology and Evolution. Researchers observed a nearly 50% reduction in mortality from collisions involving towers with a single black blade. Bård Stokke of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, one of the study’s lead authors, said the findings could address the evolving wind industry’s Achilles’ heel, its impact on birds.”

That’s the recap for the week.

Have a great weekend and as always, stay safe.

Energy Efficiency/Storage

$13M in funds for clean energy projects across Massachusetts, WWLP

Connecticut’s first ‘net-zero’ schools, tapping solar and geothermal energy, to be built in Manchester and Mansfield, Hartford Courant

Over 20 percent energy use reduction in New York State buildings since 2010, informnny.com

Bloomfield bearing pioneer sets sights on wasted energy market, Hartford Business Journal

Cambridge partners with All In Energy to assist residents, Wicked Local Cambridge

Time for a diet: Today’s US homes have super-sized into “energy gluttons,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Learn How You Can Take Advantage of Horticulture Energy Efficiency Programs, Greenhouse Grower

Climate Change/Renewables/RGGI

Energy experts warn over green hydrogen ‘shortfall,’ Renews.biz

Preserving Trees Becomes Big Business, Driven by Emissions Rules, Wall St. Journal

WoodMac: 2020s Will Be the ‘Decade Of Hydrogen,’ Greentech Media

Utilities warn New York’s $72M ‘build-ready’ renewables program could cost consumers, Utility Dive

Adirondacks seeing a push for green energy, Times Union

Wind

New York, New Jersey hesitant on offshore grid planning amid federal uncertainty, Politico

New York’s Hudson Valley: Future Offshore Wind Hub?, Greentech Media

Mitchell: Delays to wind projects have hurt New Bedford’s ‘first mover’ status, South Coast Today

So Much For Saving Coal Jobs: More Offshore Wind Jobs Waiting In The Wings, Cleantechnica

Study: Black turbine blades reduced bird mortality by 72%, E&E News

Coalition formed to further offshore wind initiatives, Cape Cod Times

Solar

New Report Finds Rhode Island has Plenty of Room to Expand Solar Responsibly, EcoRI

Solar Grids Built on NJ Farmland Get Senate Backing, NJ Spotlight

Agilitas Energy’s SMART Solar Project in Auburn MA Commences Construction, Alt Energy Mag

Bakers Island Light Station Celebrates New Solar Array, North Shore Magazine

CT Green Bank sells 6 solar energy systems to Greenwich investment firm, New Haven Register

Investment firm proposes $100 million trio of solar projects for Maine, Press Herald

EVs

Energy storage for EV charging can lower demand charges, Guidehouse reports, Utility Dive

Electric Vehicle Makers Find a Back Door to Wall Street, New York Times

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

Not everyone happy about Columbia Gas deal, Eagle Tribune

The United States set record for daily natural gas power burn in late July, EIA.gov

Nuclear

NRC board extends Seabrook plant’s license with conditions relating to concrete testing, Gloucester Times

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

CT keeps losing power when storms strike. But that doesn’t have to happen., CT Mirror

New York City’s hottest new energy fight, Grist

At Connecticut hearing on Eversource rate increases, critics demand more accountability; Blumenthal calls for break-up of utility, Hartford Courant

Breakup Eversource? Or just closely regulate? Blumenthal’s suggestion jolts PURA hearing, CT Mirror

Energy sector divided over transmission incentives for voluntary cybersecurity investments, Utility Dive

Following botched utility response to Hurricane Isaias, New York governor proposes stricter penalties, Utility Dive

Exelon: Massachusetts’ gas and oil-fired Mystic power units to close in 2021 and 2024, Power Engineering

A new voice at PURA at a pivotal time in energy oversight, CT Mirror

Opponents will still try to kill CMP corridor after court nixes referendum, Bangor Daily News

Opinion/Editorial

New England needs to go all in on offshore wind, CommonWealth Magazine

Natural Resources Council CEO: State agencies failed Maine on CMP corridor, Press Herald

My Turn: Is solar net metering a net good for New Hampshire?, Concord Monitor

Opinion: CT leading the way in wind energy development, CT Post

Grow crops, not solar panels, on NJ’s best farmland, The Link News

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Filed under Climate Change, Electric Grid, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, offshore wind, solar

Tagged as Columbia Gas of MA, Connecticut, Eversource, Massachusetts, offshore wind, Rhode Island

May 22, 2020 · 2:35 pm

Energy News for week ending May 22, 2020

Big deal | Curtailed | Zinc-air

Happy Friday afternoon.

We start with a piece from the Granite Geek. “Rooftop solar is becoming a big deal in New England. One sunny afternoon earlier this month, reports ISO-New England, the six-state region had roughly 3,200 MW of “behind the meter” solar – the rooftop stuff, as compared to stand-alone solar farms that feed straight to the grid. This was a record, says the folks who run our power system, although it’s a record that will be falling frequently in coming years, since they expect many thousands more megawatts of solar to be added. How much is 3,200 megawatts? It’s almost three times the output of Seabrook Station nuclear power plant, so we’re talking serious output…”

For this next story we move from solar to wind. From S&P Global Platts, “Portion of New England offshore wind could be curtailed by 2030: ISO. ISO New England analysis made public Wednesday estimated about 10% of the total 2030 offshore wind power portfolio connected into southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island would be “spilled,” or curtailed, under certain assumptions due to transmission constraints and a glut of supply. Transmission developer Anbaric requested ISO-NE perform a study reviewing the impact on energy market prices, air emissions and regional fuel security of three offshore wind power scenarios for target year 2030: 8,000 MW, 10,000 MW and 12,000 MW. An ISO-NE presentation during an earlier Planning Committee meeting discussed the Anbaric economic study for scenarios with 8,000 MW to 12,000 MW of offshore wind additions in southern New England. The addition of 8,000 MW to 12,000 MW of offshore wind plus assumed resource retirements of nearly 4,500 MW result in southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island (SEMA/RI) export interface transmission congestion, according to the presentation. Other key points include a finding that connecting more offshore wind close to load centers outside of southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island, especially the Mystic and Millstone substations, would reduce the congestion hours of the southeast Massachusetts/Rhode Island export interface.”

Our new tech feature this week comes from Recharge. “New zinc-air battery is ‘cheaper, safer and far longer-lasting than lithium-ion.’ A new type of battery is coming onto the market that can store multiple days’ worth of energy, that doesn’t degrade, can’t possibly explode and is up to five times cheaper than lithium-ion, claimed its developer as it prepares to pilot the technology in New York state. The zinc-air hybrid flow battery developed by Canadian company Zinc8 has the potential to disrupt the entire energy-storage market — making wind and solar farms baseload and even replacing the need for transmission grid upgrades in many places…Zinc-air can beat lithium-ion batteries on price because the latter can generally only hold about four hours’ worth of energy at any one time, so an eight-hour storage system would require two batteries. By contrast, the storage capacity of the Zinc8 system can just be made bigger by increasing the size of the storage tank and the volume of the electrolyte it contains. The capital cost of an eight-hour Zinc8 storage is about $250/kWh, falling to $100/kWh for a 32-hour system and $60/kWh for 100 hours. By contrast, lithium-ion projects cost about $300/kWh for any duration over eight hours.

That’s the recap for this week. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and don’t forget to take a moment to remember those who lost their lives in service to our country.

And as always, stay safe.

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

Tree Deaths in Urban Settings Are Linked to Leaks from Natural Gas Pipelines Below Streets, Inside Climate News

Cuomo administration cites new climate law in denying controversial New York, New Jersey pipeline, Politico NY

Devastated By Coronavirus, New York’s Pipeline Politics Ensure A Tougher Second Round, Forbes.com

First gas disaster settlement checks going out Friday, Eagle Tribune

Answers Sought Regarding Explosion and Pipeline Construction in Burrillville, EcoRI

Climate Change/Renewables/RGGI

‘Devil is in the details.’ The fight for grid carbon pricing, E&E News

Majority of Mainers support bold energy, transportation policies to address climate change, MaineBeacon.com

Wind and Solar Profits: The Race Between Falling Costs and Declining Revenue, Greentech Media

Traffic Is Way Down, Due To Lockdowns, But Air Pollution? Not So Much, WGBH

Trump admin slaps solar, wind operators with retroactive rent bills, Reuters

Vatican ties virus rethink to pope’s environmental appeal, AP News

The strongest, most dangerous hurricanes are now far more likely because of climate change, study shows, Washington Post

Americans See Climate as a Concern, Even Amid Coronavirus Crisis, New York Times

Global emissions plunged an unprecedented 17 percent during the coronavirus pandemic, Washington Post

Global green energy growth to fall for first time in 20 years: IEA, Reuters

Why some spots on the planet are heating up faster than others, Washington Post

Group Says It Will Launch World’s Largest Green Hydrogen Project, Power Magazine

With CT’s trash future in flux, food-waste recycler hopes for bigger role, Hartford Business Journal

More US Power Generated This Year Expected To Come From Renewables Than From Coal, WGBH

Wind

Connecticut Utilities Move Forward with Park City Wind PPAs, Offshorewind.biz

Brattle Study Highlights Benefits of Offshore Grid, RTO Insider

Siemens Gamesa Launches 14MW Offshore Wind Turbine, World’s Largest

Four New Studies to Examine Fisheries, Offshore Wind, South Coast Today

Portion of New England offshore wind could be curtailed by 2030: ISO, S&P Global

Solar

Rooftop solar is becoming a big deal in New England, Granite Geek

5 Wind Energy Giants Embracing Solar Power, Greentech Media

Utility regulator denies controversial Bennington solar project, VT Digger

Why is cloudy Syracuse suddenly a solar farm magnet?, Syracuse.com

Coronavirus Wipes Out 5 Years of US Solar Job Growth, Greentech Media

COVID-19 Impacts on the U.S. Solar Industry, SEIA

Why (and How) the Solar Finance Market Is Changing in This Crisis, Greentech Media

National Solar Tour Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You, NA Clean Energy

Proposed solar farm in Gorham up for review June 1, Press Herald

DEEP rejects Candlewood Solar permit in New Milford, News Times

Melrose church installs community solar project, Wicked Local Melrose

Energy Efficiency/Storage

Can Free Smart Thermostats Get Homeowners to Enroll in Summertime Demand Response,? Greentech Media

New zinc-air battery is ‘cheaper, safer and far longer-lasting than lithium-ion,’ Recharge

Con Edison commits $1.5 billion to energy efficiency, Utility Dive

EVs

As Covid-19 Hits Electric Vehicles, Some Thrive, Others Die, Bloomberg

HEVO to Launch US Manufacturing for Wireless Electric Vehicle Charger, Greentech Media

Nuclear

Tonopah quake bolsters Nevada’s case against Yucca dumpsite, LasVegas Sun

Brick by brick: Finding families of loved ones who worked at Pilgrim Station, Patriot Ledger

America Just Made a Huge Investment in Next-Gen Nuclear Power, Popular Mechanics

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

The Drive to Replace Summer-Only ‘Peaker’ Power Plants, Wired

Mainers get more time to pay bills, utilities get pinched as virus reduces demand, WGME

ISO-New England: 2019 transmission-outage coordination stats and goals, Electric Energy Online

‘Terrified’ energy workers press feds for safety standard, E&E News

New York grants flexibility, works to limit ‘bad actors’ in demand response programs hit by COVID-19, Utility Dive

Unpaid utility bills, lower usage threaten to push rates higher in Maine, Press Herald

LIPA officials planning to retire at least 1 power generating unit, Newsday

Mass. Hydropower Project Stymied By Maine Ballot Question Dispute, WBUR

Opinion

Eastie needs straight answers from Eversource, CommonWealth Magazine

We need to start using less natural gas, CommonWealth Magazine

Gov. Phil Murphy needs to unplug NJ Transit’s power plant | Opinion, northjersey.com

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce: NECEC offers some hope for Maine’s economy, Central Maine.com

Rhode Island Can’t Delay Efforts to Decarbonize Its Economy, EcoRI

INSIGHT: Will AI Increase or Decrease Power Grid Efficiency,? Bloomberg Law

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Filed under Climate Change, Electric Grid, Natural Gas Pipelines, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, offshore wind, solar

Tagged as Anbaric, Columbia Gas of MA, Connecticut, Maine, New England Clean Energy Connect, offshore wind, Rhode Island

January 31, 2020 · 11:39 am

Energy News for week ending January 31, 2020

Inevitability | Maine Potential | Called Out | Barn Inspired

TGIF!

It has been a busy week so let’s get this done and get to the news.

We start with a story from Greentech Media, “Where does the natural gas bridge end? Adnan Amin, former director-general of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and current senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, argued that the role of natural gas is being overstated in most forecasts. ‘We have been talking about, for the last few years, gas as the bridge,’ Amin said during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. ‘There is an inevitability about bridges, which is that sooner or later you get to the end of the bridge…’ Within the next decade, renewables are expected to be cheaper than even existing gas plants, prompting the question of stranded assets…Meg Gentle of Tellurian acknowledged that the industry needs to do more to reduce emissions over the lifecycle of the product, from the wellhead to the ship. Potential solutions include blocking methane leaks, investing in carbon capture and sequestration, and purchasing carbon offsets, she said. But even these steps still may not be enough.”

Next, we move from the possible end to the big potential. From the Bangor Daily News, “Maine has the potential to power itself through wind. Maine currently uses more fossil-fuel produced energy than any of the other New England States. The solution to reducing, and even eliminating, that dependency could lay in state’s potential to produce much of the energy it needs through wind generated power…According to the American Wind Energy Association, Maine has enough reliable wind blowing over land to produce 69,797 megawatts of power annually. With developing technology in offshore wind generated power, there is the potential for an additional 94,498 megawatts of power. Combined, it’s more than enough to power the state.”

Speaking of Maine, its Attorney General joined forces with its counterparts in Connecticut and Massachusetts to call out ISO New England for anti-competitive practices. From WSHU, “Officials from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine say the operator of New England’s regional power grid is unfairly blocking competition. Officials say ISO New England has labeled every project since 2011 as an emergency, which allowed them to limit bidding. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and other officials sent a letter to federal energy regulators. ‘I am calling on ISO New England to open up transmission work to competitive bidding. It doesn’t make any sense that we don’t encourage competition in that space to get the lowest bid possible.’ Tong says competition could save ratepayers millions of dollars. Connecticut’s electricity prices are among the highest in the nation…A spokesperson for ISO New England says the organization properly applied its federally approved tariff and has implemented a competitive solicitation in the Boston area.”

Energy efficiency stories seem to be in short supply lately. So when we find one that is combined with gorgeous photos, we tend to swoon. From Inhabitat, “Charming, energy-efficient cottages are inspired by barns in rural Massachusetts. Almost 10 years ago, a developer purchased a plot of land in Massachusetts that had three timber greenhouses dating back to the 1940s. Wanting to update the structures into livable, eco-friendly homes, the developer tasked architect Grigori Fateyev with breathing new life into the old structures. But the design process led to the replacement of the old buildings with a series of contemporary eco-homes that were built following passive design principles.”

That’s the recap for this week. Enjoy the stories below and have a great weekend!

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

Blocking Trains and Removing Coal, Climate Activists Fight to Close One of New England’s Largest Power Plants, Common Dreams

Where Does the Natural Gas ‘Bridge’ End?, Greentech Media

ISO-NE: Natural Gas Remains King In New England Even As Wind & Solar Climb, New Hampshire Public Radio

State To Install Permanent Air Monitoring Station In Weymouth, WBUR

Weymouth: Faith Leaders Voice Opposition to Proposed Compressor Station, WATD-FM

New Jersey Sets Goal to Cut Natural Gas Use 80% by 2050, Bloomberg

National Grid hasn’t needed short-term measures to handle gas crisis, Newsday

States Tells Justices $7B Pipeline Can’t Cross Trail, Law360

Gas Exports Have a Dirty Secret: A Carbon Footprint Rivaling Coal’s, Yahoo! News

New York creeps closer to coal divestment from pension funds, MarketWatch

Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI

Senate agrees to sharp shift in state climate policies, Herald News

In Senate climate bills, lawmakers see new jobs, economic opportunity for Western Massachusetts, MassLive

Tarr: Costs missing from climate policy package, Salem News

Renewables Set to Overtake Natural Gas in US Power Mix, EIA Says, Greentech Media

Can the US power sector significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2040? Not according to EIA, Utility Dive

State faces calls to act more swiftly on climate change, AP

Northeast governors slow to embrace regional climate pact, CT Post

New Jersey outlines sweeping plans to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050, Utility Dive

How Maine could emit zero carbon by 2050 without more energy spending, Bangor Daily News

Geothermal’s surprise: Cheap renewables could keep states from achieving climate goals, Utility Dive

State energy secretary seeks support for Baker’s climate plan, MassLive

High school, college students push for stronger climate change legislation at State House, WCVB Channel 5 Boston

Senate climate bills would push state to adopt carbon pricing, Boston Globe

Gov. Murphy announces a plan for 100% clean energy by 2050, Connecticut Post

The Energy 202: If the U.S. doesn’t change course, carbon emissions will rise again in the 2030s, Washington Post

GE’s Turnaround Slowed by Struggling Renewable Energy Division, Greentech Media

Massachusetts Senate to consider climate change amendments on electric car rebates, solar projects, MassLive

Wind

EDPR and Engie Join Forces With Aim to Rank Among Top 5 Offshore Wind Developers, Greentech Media

Ports and Harbors: How US Offshore Wind Developers Are Anchoring Their Claims, Greentech Media

Maine has the potential to power itself through wind, Bangor Daily News

Offshore Wind Energy is Key to New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan, Alt Energy Mag

The Hot New US Wind Market: Crowded East Coast States, Greentech Media

First of two hearings highlights wind farm’s TIF terms with county, The Quoddy Tides

Fed review of offshore wind projects raises concerns over delays, Newsday

NJEDA seeks input to support state’s growing offshore wind industry, NJBIZ

Solar

Solar panel proposal in Hopkinton would affect large forest, MetroWest Daily News

The MBTA built solar panels in Hingham over a year ago. They’re still not generating electricity., Patriot Ledger

NYC’s roofs are getting a sustainable makeover, but is green or solar better?, Utility Dive

MIT and NREL researchers outline a pathway to slashing solar costs faster for industry expansion, PV Buzz

Bath sheds lights on solar power option, Press Herald

Q&A: Jeffrey Peck on solar’s growth and going public, VTDigger

IREC grades all community solar programs and only gives two A’s, leedpoints.com

For cheaper solar cells, thinner really is better, Science Daily

MIT researchers see solar modules reaching well below 20¢ per watt, pv magazine International

Energy Efficiency/Storage

Charming, energy-efficient cottages are inspired by barns in rural Massachusetts, Inhabitat

Everyone’s Favorite Climate Solution Has a Fire Problem, Bloomberg Green

Nuclear

Bill would force Seabrook Station, power plants to pay more taxes, Seacoastonline.com

Scientists develop a concept of a hybrid thorium reactor, Phys.org

Rolls-Royce plans mini nuclear reactors by 2029, BBC

LIPA’s tab for nuclear plant subsidy could be $820M over 10 years, Newsday

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

New England AGs Call Out Power Grid Operator Over Anti-Competitive Practices, WSHU

How to Safeguard Against Cyberattacks on Utilities, Harvard Business Review

Bid to make Avangrid subsidiary publicly owned could have financial impact, CT Insider (Subscriber content)

A top analyst breaks down the 3 little-known industries that are quietly shaping the future global energy economy, Business Insider

New utility cooperative CEO calls for focus on future planning, The Day

Maine PUC billing investigation ends; CMP charged with $10M penalty to shareholders, News Center Maine

9 things to know about the CMP billing probe, Bangor Daily News

CMP admits poor handling of winter disconnect notices, Portland Press Herald

CMP files response to Maine PUC, outlining corrective actions company plans to take, WCSH-TV

Report: Nuclear, wind power contracts put Connecticut ratepayers at risk, CT Insider (Subscriber content)

Editorial/Opinion

2 simple steps to address climate change, CommonWealth Magazine

Her assignment from Baker: Save the environment, Boston Globe

Healey: Stop individual residential electricity sales, CommonWealth Magazine

New York’s First Offshore Wind Contracts Are Done – Now What?, Energy Central

Editorial: CT right to reconsider future power needs, Connecticut Post

Letter to the Editor: Clean energy an economic development opportunity for Maine, Portland Press Herald

Let the 2020s be a decade of climate action, Hartford Courant

Maine Voices: Amid corner-cutting on CMP corridor plan, citizens’ hands are tied, Portland Press Herald

Maine Compass: CMP project a bad deal for Maine, Kennebec Journal

Massachusetts is a leader on climate change — but it can do better, Boston Globe

Energy efficiency slows climate change, saves money. Why haven’t we embraced it more?, USA Today

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Filed under Climate Change, Electric Grid, Energy Efficiency, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, offshore wind, solar

Tagged as Central Maine Power, Charlie Baker, climate change, Connecticut, electric rates, ISO New England, Maine, Massachusetts, solar

December 6, 2019 · 11:54 am

Energy News for week ending December 6, 2019

Vineyard Wind takes CT | Pressing Threat | Blue Membrane

Happy Friday folks. Let’s get to this week’s energy news.

We begin in Connecticut. From Greentech Media, “Connecticut on Thursday selected Vineyard Wind’s 804-megawatt Park City project as the winner in a major offshore wind solicitation, setting up the seaport city of Bridgeport to become a significant hub for the emerging U.S. market. Connecticut regulators said Vineyard won with a price “lower than any other publicly announced offshore wind project in North America.” The exact price was not disclosed. Vineyard Wind, which competed against rival development groups backed by Ørsted and Shell, will now begin negotiating a final contract with Connecticut’s two electric utilities. The project is due for completion in 2025.”

The next topic – offshore drilling – always takes me by surprise when it’s said in conjunction with the northeast. But it’s a thing now so hopefully those in charge will pay attention to this story from MassLive, “An Environment America report released this week suggests offshore drilling could severely impact communities throughout Massachusetts and other coastal states. The report warned that expansion of offshore drilling, pushed by the Trump administration last year in a plan that is tied up in court, would result in onshore infrastructure that could damage the environment, including pipelines through sensitive coastal habitats and harmful greenhouse gas emissions from oil refineries…The 32-page report highlights how pipelines from offshore rigs to inland processing facilities could increase the chances of oil spills and worsen water quality in estuaries. The report also argues toxic waste brought onshore from drilling operations could pollute land and drinking water. Proponents of offshore drilling say expansion could tap into vast available resources and boost the U.S. economy.”

Speaking of water, our new technology feature this week comes from Science Magazine, “Rivers could generate thousands of nuclear power plants worth of energy, thanks to a new ‘blue’ membrane. Green energy advocates may soon be turning blue. A new membrane could unlock the potential of ‘blue energy,’ which uses chemical differences between fresh- and saltwater to generate electricity. If researchers can scale up the postage stamp–size membrane in an affordable fashion, it could provide carbon-free power to millions of people in coastal nations where freshwater rivers meet the sea…Blue energy’s promise stems from its scale: Rivers dump some 37,000 cubic kilometers of freshwater into the oceans every year. This intersection between fresh- and saltwater creates the potential to generate lots of electricity—2.6 terawatts, according to one recent estimate, roughly the amount that can be generated by 2000 nuclear power plants.”

That’s the recap for this week. Enjoy the stories below and have a great weekend.

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

Offshore drilling ‘creates pressing threat’ to Massachusetts’s environment, residents’ health, report says, MassLive

Maine eyed for project that converts electricity to storable gas, Portland Press Herald

Overpowered: Why a US gas-building spree continues despite electricity glut, S&P Global

Free Legal Aid Offered To Those Affected By Gas Explosions, WGBH

Construction begins on Weymouth compressor station, Boston Globe

Four arrested as protesters block construction crews at Weymouth compressor site, Patriot Ledger

Natural gas companies call for carbon tax, Houston Chronicle

Iroquois Pipeline project to be discussed in Brookfield, Stamford Advocate

National Grid: Pact with state won’t lead to significant hikes over prior rate requests, Newsday

Weston residents testify in support of gas legislation, Wicked Local

Hearing set on proposed Unitil gas service rate hike, Portland Press Herald

Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Hit a Record in 2019, Even as Coal Fades, New York Times

Why Coastal Storms Are A Threat To Tourism, WGBH

Rivers could generate thousands of nuclear power plants worth of energy, thanks to a new ‘blue’ membrane, Science

Is FERC overstepping its authority and hurting renewables? States, power groups question PURPA plan, Utility Dive

As Climate Change Worsens, A Cascade of Tipping Points Looms, Yale Environment 360

5 Things To Know About The East Coast Effort To Curb Transportation Emissions, WBUR

The Next Generation of Children Will Be Affected by Climate Change Before They’re Even Born, Mother Jones

New Hampshire Winters Are Among The Fastest-Warming In The Country, New Hampshire Public Radio

Why clean-energy innovation isn’t enough to tackle climate change, Axios

Scientists have gotten predictions of global warming right since the 1970s, Vox

Wind

Vineyard Wins as Connecticut Chooses 804MW Offshore Wind Project, Greentech Media

A Silver Lining in Vineyard Wind’s Delay?, Greentech Media

New Hampshire governor signs order to prepare for offshore wind development, Portland Press Herald

Nexans Steps into North American Offshore Wind Supply Chain, NRG Wind Project

Wind farm proposals causing concerns for fishing industry, RICentral.com

Solar

‘I’d Tell My Mom to Sign Up.’ Has Community Solar Finally Come of Age?, Greentech Media

Third time’s a charm? New Hampshire legislators work to break impasse on net metering, Utility Dive

No land, no problem. Floating solar panels might be the next big thing., Grist

Solar Industry Girds for New Fight as Trump’s Tariffs Get Review, Bloomberg

U.S. solar industry to lose 62,000 jobs due to Trump tariffs – study, Reuters

Energy Efficiency/Storage

After 2 court losses, DOE signals it will publish 4 appliance efficiency standards, Utility Dive

Landlords must display energy-efficiency grades starting next year, Crain’s New York

Cheap at Last, Batteries Are Making a Solar Dream Come True, Wired

Diamonds in your devices: Powering the next generation of energy storage, Phys.org

FERC Tariff Approvals Open Way for Energy Storage in Wholesale Markets, Microgrid Knowledge

EVs

Pennsylvania Senate Advances Transportation Electrification Bill, Microgrid Knowledge

Electric vehicles to make up 50% of new autos by 2040: Platts Analytics, S&P Global

Nuclear

Public meeting being held on closing of Yankee Nuclear power plant, WCAX3

Plymouth could shoulder sirens from Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, Enterprise

Another Rare M2.1 Earthquake Hits Near Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, Massachusetts, Strange Sounds

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

New England expected to have adequate electricity this winter, VT Digger (press release)

State nears approval of power line to run through Sudbury, Hudson, Stow, MetroWest Daily News

The Cybersecurity 202: Activist wants court to name and shame electric utilities for violating cybersecurity rules, Washington Post

Connecticut regulators propose restrictions on third-party electricity providers, New Haven Register

The Grid, NPR

CMP parent company fined $450,000 for lapses in reliability standards, Portland Press Herald

The hidden costs of New England’s demand for Canadian hydropower, VTDigger

CMP’s parent forms PAC to argue for bringing Canadian hydropower to New England, Portland Press Herald

State nears approval of power line to run through Sudbury, Hudson, Stow, Wicked Local

Senator Markey Questions Need for East Boston Electrical Substation, Calls on State Officials to Reopen Decision to Allow Construction of Project, US Senate

Energy paradigm shift to pressure prices in 2020, next decade, Bloomberg

Editorial/Opinion

Democratize access to clean energy, CommonWealth Magazine

How Brookline’s Ban On Gas Heating Could Seed Regional Change, WBUR

The False Promise of Natural Gas, New England Journal of Medicine

Electric consumers shouldn’t have to pay for the expansion of electric vehicles, NJ.com

If we don’t take action on climate change today, there may be no tomorrow, Washington Post

Commentary: Carbon tax best way to cut gas emissions, Times Union

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Filed under Climate Change, Electric Grid, Energy Efficiency, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, offshore wind, Pilgrim Closing, solar

Tagged as Central Maine Power, climate change, Connecticut, offshore drilling, Vineyard Wind, Weymouth

November 8, 2019 · 2:34 pm

Energy News for week ending November 8, 2019

Batteries vs. Blackouts | High Heat | Phototropism

Happy Friday afternoon. We hope you’re all staying warm on this cold and blustery day.

Speaking of windy conditions, we have a story out of Vermont from Greentech Media, “A major rain and wind storm struck the state at the close of October, knocking out power to some 115,000 customers. Among those affected, 1,100 homes managed to keep the lights on thanks to pilot programs specifically designed to promote resilient backup power with energy storage. The battery backup service lasted nine hours on average, but the longest instance stretched to 82 hours…The program previously generated more headlines by saving hundreds of thousands of dollars during annual system peak events than for fulfilling the backup function. In 2018, GMP’s network of batteries reduced consumption during the ISO New England peak hour, saving about $600,000 on capacity fees. This year, a larger number of batteries, totaling 10 megawatts of capacity, responded to a late July peak, saving nearly $900,000 from a single hour of operation.”

For those of us who live in Massachusetts, the news about the cost to heat our homes this winter isn’t good. From the Salem News, “Consumers will dig deeper into their pockets to heat their homes and keep the lights turned on this winter, with electricity and natural gas rates set to increase. Beginning this month, National Grid’s residential electric rates increased by 15.2%, or about $21 a month on average, compared to rates last winter. National Grid’s gas customers, meanwhile, could get a break on their bills. Customers of Boston Gas Company, the company’s subsidiary in the region, will see their monthly bill reduced by about $14, or 7%, this winter compared to last year, depending on how much gas they use and whether it’s for heat, hot water or other uses, according to the utility.…Eversource, which serves about 1.4 million customers in the state, will be filing its proposed winter rates to state regulators on Dec. 1, according to the company. It’s not clear whether or not the utility will request an increase, but any changes to its winter rates would go into effect on Jan. 1, if approved by state regulators. The utility’s natural gas rates, which went into effect on Nov. 1, increased the average monthly bill by about $22 per month, or 14%, compared to last winter.”

For our technology story of the week we look to The Smithsonian, “In recent decades, solar cells have gotten better and cheaper, leading to a boom in the solar energy industry. But most solar panels have one major drawback—they don’t move. That means the sunlight reaching them often comes in at an angle, which hinders maximum power production. But a new light-loving, sunflower-inspired polymer may help boost the productivity of solar panels in the near future. The new polymer, described in a paper in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, is capable of phototropism, or the ability to follow the sun in its daily journey across the sky. Inventor Xiaoshi Qian of the University of California, Los Angeles and the team call the new polymer SunBOT, which stands for sunflower-like biomimetic omnidirectional tracker. Each stem is roughly one millimeter in diameter and infused with a nanomaterial that turns light into heat with a little “flower” coated with solar energy-collecting material at the top. When light hits one side of the stem, the material heats up and shrinks, bending the stem points directly at the light source while it moves around and strikes from various angles…Seung-Wuk Lee, a bioengineer at the University of California, Berkeley, not involved in the study, tells Sofie Bates at Science News that the most promising use of the SunBOTs would be integrating the material with solar cells, which could give solar technology a huge boost. Currently, solar cells capture about 24 percent of the sunlight available. By allowing the cells to operate at a near-maximum absorption rate almost all day long, the SunBOTS could boost that 90 percent, reports Bates.”

That’s the recap for this week. Enjoy the news articles below and have a wonderful weekend.

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

National Grid, Eversource Say They Can Meet Natural Gas Demand Without Weymouth Compressor, WBUR

Shifting Demand Fuels Weymouth Compressor Debate, WBUR

Weymouth Compressor Station’s Permit Is Delayed Again, WBUR

State board details rejection of Burrillville natural gas plant, Providence Business News

Renewables growth, market changes tanked Invenergy’s Rhode Island gas plant, regulators say, Utility Dive

Raimondo: National Grid needs to be held accountable after January gas outage, WPRI 12

R.I. regulators OK temporary natural-gas facility in Portsmouth, Providence Journal

Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI

Renewable Energy: What Happens When the Sun Isn’t Shining and the Wind Isn’t Blowing, WCAI

Can farmers sow their way out of climate change?, CBS News

Can Tidal Stream Energy Finally Turn the Corner?, Greentech Media

A Massachusetts company wants to build three hydroelectric plants to harness power from Lehigh Valley rivers, dams, The Morning Call

New reactor could halve carbon dioxide emissions from ammonia production, Science Magazine

Tamil Nadu to ink pact on renewable energy with Massachusetts, The Hindu

GE makes ‘big play’ in clean energy, MetroWest Daily News

Worcester contracts with electricity supplier to boost amount of renewable energy, Telegram

Wind

Who’s in charge of Mass. offshore wind procurements?, CommonWealth Magazine

State approves power-purchase contract with UMaine wind project, Portland Press Herald

Maine utility regulators approve tests for floating wind turbine project off Maine coast, MainePublic.org

Developing Wind Farm in New York Is No Breeze, Wall Street Journal

Vineyard Wind Pushes IRS for Subsidy Extension on Delayed Offshore Project, Greentech Media

Wind Turbine Size Changes Could Jeopardize Approvals; Agency Seeks PSC Review, The Dispatch (Maryland)

Scituate: Noise Compliance Test Near Finalization for Wind Turbine, WATD

Turbines, Petition Articles Highlights At Falmouth Precinct Meeting, Falmouth Enterprise

Town board accepts study findings, Observer Today (New York)

GE’s Culp makes rare appearance in Charlestown to welcome wind turbine blade, Boston Business Journal

A Wind Turbine Blade Bigger Than Big Ben Will Be Battered In Boston, WBUR

Fengate Acquires Maine Wind Project from Longroad Energy Partners, on Behalf of Investors, NA Clean Energy

Ørsted offers $100 million to southeastern Connecticut in offshore wind bid, The Day

UMass Amherst Researchers Receive $1.175 Million Grant To Build New Software to Simulate Off-Shore Wind Turbines, UMass (press release)

Solar

Tetra Tech pushes solar power on closed landfills as a clear winner for operators and owners, Utility Dive

Sunlight-Tracking Polymer, Inspired by Sunflowers, Could Maximize Solar Power, Smithsonian

Shepard Steel Turns on New Solar Energy System; Early Production Exceeds Estimates, Business Insider

Prices are down and capacity is up as solar and wind take hold, Financial Times

Energy Efficiency/Storage

An Energy Breakthrough Could Store Solar Power for Decades, Bloomberg

States, NGOs sue DOE for reversing lightbulb standards as global energy efficiency progress stalls, Utility Dive

Batteries vs. Blackouts: 1,100 Homes Powered Through Vermont Outage With Storage, Greentech Media

Two National Grid Projects Selected as Energy Storage North America 2019 Innovation Award Winner, CSR Wire

Profiles in Connecticut innovation: High-energy Cadenza makes power storage more efficient, Hartford Courant

New Flow Batteries Could Accelerate an Electrical Grid Powered by the Sun and Wind, SciTech Daily

State awards funds for energy efficient affordable housing, WWLP

EVs

Electric vehicles could help climate change – by RETURNING power to the grid, Chronicle Live

WoodMac: Workplace EV Charging Is on the Rise, Greentech Media

EV Charging Trends: Solar Absorption, Demand Response, Green Charging, Microgrid Knowledge

Nuclear

Feds Exempt Shuttered Pilgrim From Emergency Requirements, WBUR

Why the U.K. Is Pushing Nuclear Power as Others Waver, Bloomberg

An Indian nuclear power plant suffered a cyberattack. Here’s what you need to know., Washington Post

Clearwater Appeals Decision On Nuclear Subsidies, WAMC (NY)

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

First cyberattack on solar, wind assets revealed widespread grid weaknesses, analysts say, Utility Dive

National Grid’s president of US business exits suddenly, Syracuse.com

Heating costs expected to rise, Salem News

Northfield electricity aggregation awaiting DPU approval, Greenfield Recorder

Eversource’s 3Q profits rise as utility giant remains bullish on wind business, Hartford Business

Farms Can Harvest Energy Along with Food, Scientific American

Raimondo, McKee to push tougher utility regs after report blames National Grid, Enbridge for loss of heat on Aquidneck, Providence Journal

$13M Ipswich River substation has been completed, Daily Item

7 Questions For New England Grid Chief Gordon Van Welie, Law360

National Grid Announces Changes to U.S. Leadership, MarketWatch

More airports consider going off the grid as power outages ground flights, CNBC

New ‘energizing’ career for vets, WTNH

Woolwich votes to withdraw support for CMP corridor, Portland Press Herald

Opponents of CMP corridor ramp up petition efforts, push for statewide vote, Newscentermaine.com

Editorial/Opinion

Columnist Marty Nathan: Abandonment of gas pipeline a win for climate, region, Daily Hampshire Gazette

The last gasp of natural gas, Utility Dive

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Filed under Electric Grid, Electricity Costs, Energy Efficiency, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, offshore wind, Pilgrim Closing, solar

Tagged as Connecticut, electric rates, energy efficiency, Eversource, Massachusetts, National Grid, New England Clean Energy Connect, Rhode Island, Spectra

September 20, 2019 · 3:53 pm

Energy News for week ending September 20, 2019

Added Costs | Gas Battle in NY | Menu Change

Happy glorious Friday afternoon. Here are the news highlights for this week.

From the Daily Hampshire Gazette, “A new elementary school that produces as much energy as it uses, mandated by the town’s net-zero energy bylaw, would add millions of dollars to the cost of the building, according to a summary of a 600-page report presented to the School Committee and Town Council this week. If the town proceeds with a new $64 million, 85,000-square-foot replacement for the aging Fort River School, solar panels alone would add $6.4 million to the project cost, while extensive energy improvements, in combination with the solar panels, would add $7.7 million, architect Ryszard Szczypek told the elected panels Tuesday…The consultants note that these costs are not out of line with the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s expectations for energy-efficient buildings that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

We’ve included stories about this next topic in past issues of the Northeast Energy News but haven’t highlighted it. Given it’s an ongoing matter we’re calling it out this week. From Crain’s NY Business, “National Grid didn’t get the pipeline it wanted, so now the utility is giving its customers the shaft, Gov. Andrew Cuomo argued Wednesday. The governor told reporters at an unrelated press conference that something smelled funny about the natural gas supplier’s refusal to add new accounts, or to reconnect old ones, in the months after his administration denied a permit to the proposed Williams pipeline. Cuomo has already directed his Public Service Commission to investigate the validity of National Grid’s claims that it lacks the capacity to provide gas to either old or new customers…National Grid did not respond directly to the governor’s remarks, except to state that it was working to illustrate the pipeline’s necessity to his commission.”

We move to Maine for our next story from the Portland Press Herald, “As Maine’s climate warms, what’s on the menu likely will change. Chefs and scientists offer opinions on what we’ll be eating in 50 years. Ask Sam Hayward, co-owner and founding chef of Fore Street, what the famed Portland restaurant might be serving 50 years from now, and he obligingly jumps into an imaginary time capsule to visit 2069 and check out the menu. The question assumes that little has been done since 2019 to put the brakes on climate change. It’s likely, Hayward says, that diners at his restaurant would be feasting on black sea bass, a mid-Atlantic species that already has started moving north into Gulf of Maine waters, or local meat raised on abundant Maine pastureland. “As wild species become more threatened, fish farming will continue to grow, and shellfish farming will grow,” Hayward said. “So you’ll see even more bivalves on the menu, and possibly even some southern species, such as warm-water shrimp, being grown in different places. That’s hard to imagine, isn’t it?” Farmers and fishermen are used to dealing with the vicissitudes of Mother Nature, but unchecked climate change may push her finicky personality into overdrive. Dramatic fluctuations in temperature and rainfall, increasingly acidic oceans, new plant and shellfish diseases and insect pests – all of these may challenge traditional notions of what farmers can grow in Maine and how they grow it, and what fishermen harvest from the sea. Even the smaller aspects of daily life – such as what you order off a menu – may look vastly different 50 years from now.”

That’s the news recap for this week. Enjoy the stories below and have a great weekend.

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

National Grid refusing customers to build ‘political pressure’ for pipeline, Cuomo suggests, Crain’s New York

Columbia Gas to inspect 700 abandoned gas lines in Valley, Andover Townsman

Weymouth: Public Involvement Plan Participants Request Meeting Postponement Regarding Fore River Oil Clean-up, WATD-FM

Most states don’t require engineers to review gas projects, Eagle-Tribune

Merrimack Valley Marks 1 Year Since Disastrous Gas Explosions, ESPN

Art exhibit protests Weymouth compressor station, Patriot Ledger

Wind And Natural Gas Are Big Winners In US Power Generation, OilPrice.com

Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI

Burlington, Vermont’s net zero energy roadmap showcases how utilities can lead on climate, Utility Dive

‘Like a sunburn on your lungs’: how does the climate crisis impact health?, The Guardian

EPA data pinpoint largest greenhouse gas emitters in region, Daily Hampshire Gazette

North America has lost 3 billion birds in 50 years, Washington Post

The climate movement to come: how can we build the majoritarian social force we need to slow global warming,? DigBoston

Half-dozen MetroWest, Milford communities awarded grants for clean energy projects, MetroWest Daily News

Carbon-Cutting Cities Plug In to ‘Electrify Everything’ Movement, Bloomberg

Massachusetts Catholic bishops call for action on climate change, environmental protection, MassLive

As Maine’s climate warms, what’s on the menu likely will change, Portland Press Herald

Climate Change Is Having Widespread Health Impacts, Scientific American

Hampshire County gets ‘F’ in air quality rating: Climate change a factor, Daily Hampshire Gazette

What would the Green New Deal look like in the Valley? We asked economists and activists, Daily Hampshire Gazette

‘Worse Than Anyone Expected’: Air Travel Emissions Vastly Outpace Predictions, New York Times

Waters off the coast of Maine vulnerable to changing climate, Portland Press Herald

Connecticut’s Small Solutions To Climate Change: New Tool Shows Effects Of Sea Level rise, WNPR

County opts out of solar, wind, farm waste energy tax exemptions, The Recorder (NY)

What To Know About Friday’s Youth Climate Strike In Boston, WBUR

Climate protest: Students converge on downtown Worcester, Telegram.com

Photos from climate strike events across the planet, Boston Globe

Wind

The Hamptons Love Green Energy. But That Wind Farm?, New York Times

Ørsted ok’d to bring offshore wind power ashore at Oyster Creek, NJ Spotlight

Antrim Wind project fined for delay, Monadnock Ledger Transcript

New York board approves 242 megawatt wind farm, WENY

Wind And Natural Gas Are Big Winners In US Power Generation, OilPrice.com

Time is now for major upgrade at State Pier, wind deal officials say, The Day

Fishing concerns color N.J. offshore wind hearing, National Wind Watch

Fishermen demand a say in decisions on offshore wind energy, WHYY

GE Lands First Orders for 12MW Offshore Wind Turbine, and They’re Huge, Greentech Media

Solar

Proposed state law would put solar panels on new homes, commercial buildings, MetroWest Daily News

Utility-scale solar pipeline hits 37.9 GW, driven by falling costs and corporate buying: Report, Utility Dive

The State of Floating Solar: Bigger Projects, Climbing Capacity, New Markets, Greentech Media

Rhode Island’s First Community Solar Project Enters Operation, Solar Industry

Solar Industry Unsatisfied With Proposed SMART Reforms in Massachusetts, Greentech Media

CT’s small solutions to climate change: South Windsor goes solar, Connecticut Mirror

Energy Efficiency/Storage

Net-zero school could add $7.7M to cost, consultants tell Amherst boards, Daily Hampshire Gazette

Nothing standing in the way of energy storage’s ‘explosive growth’: Navigant, Utility Dive

Energy Efficiency Can Get U.S. Halfway To Climate Goals, Facility Executive

ACEEE: ‘Ambitious’ energy efficiency could halve US emissions by 2050, Utility Dive

Online Dashboard Shows Energy Efficiency Funding Opportunities, Patch

New York advances toward 3 GW storage goal with 316 MW project to replace gas peakers, Utility Dive

Eos Looks to Scale Up Battery Manufacturing in Pittsburgh, Greentech Media

EVs

Eversource and Greenspot Bring EV Charging Stations and e-Mobility Hubs to Massachusetts Communities, NA Clean Energy

Nuclear

Nuclear could be the clean energy source the world needs, CNN

Big Plans For Small Nuclear Plants, WBUR

To Combat Climate Change, Do We Need The Nuclear Option?, WBUR

Millstone, utilities finalize 10-year contract, The Day

For Green Energy, MIT Aims To Build ‘A Star On Earth’, WBUR

GE Details Radioactive Trucking Plan, New Haven Independent

NorthStar gets good decommissioning review, Brattleboro Reformer

Three Mile Island’s last day as a working reactor will be Friday, PennLive.com

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

CMP submits last-minute change to its power line plan, Portland Press Herald

Sununu narrowly wins veto fights over energy bills, New Hampshire Union Leader

The True Value of Distributed Energy Resources? Connecticut Takes a Stab at it, Microgrid Knowledge

Editorial/Opinion

Kill the gas powered plant in Killingly, Hartford Courant

Energy Efficiency Jobs Soar: Now Make Them Available to All, nrdc.org

Maine PUC: Editorial mischaracterizes panel’s role in resolving CMP complaints, Portland Press Herald

The Injustice Of Climate Change, WBUR

Only one beneficiary from Trump attack on fuel standards: Big Oil, Boston Globe

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Filed under Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Natural Gas Pipelines, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, nuclear, offshore wind, solar

Tagged as Columbia Gas of MA, Connecticut, electric vehicles, Eversource, Maine, National Grid, Net zero, New England Clean Energy Connect, Rhode Island

September 6, 2019 · 3:15 pm

Energy News for week ending September 6, 2019

800 MW Expansion | Bid details released | Save the bogs

Happy Friday afternoon.

We start this week with two renewables stories from the State House News Service that were picked up by local outlets.

From MassLive, “State floats 800 megawatt expansion of solar program. The Baker administration proposed an expansion of a solar energy development program Thursday, days after industry officials released a report outlining job losses in the sector that executives attributed to policy shortcomings and uncertainty. According to a senior administration official, the changes outlined in a new ‘straw proposal’ will help advance projects on utility territory waiting lists, help deliver solar energy benefits in low-income areas, and require larger solar projects to be paired with energy storage infrastructure. The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) incentive program, designed to facilitate solar projects by ensuring financing, would receive an additional 800-megawatt authorization under the proposal, up from the initial 1,600 megawatts. Energy Undersecretary Patrick Woodcock said another change would define low-income communities in connection with environmental justice standards, a move that he said would enable solar energy developers to more confidently target low-income areas for new projects.”

From South Coast Today, “Latest round of offshore wind bid details released. The state and three utilities on Wednesday released the details of the three pitches they received from developers who want to build wind farms off the coast and deliver clean energy to Massachusetts homes and businesses, and will now use the next two months to select the project that most benefits Massachusetts…The state and Eversource, National Grid and Unitil are seeking to procure at least 400 megawatts of power but will consider proposals from 200 megawatts up to 800 megawatts. The procurement is expected to fulfill the second half of the Legislature’s 2016 authorization of 1,600 megawatts of wind power…The state and utilities expect to select a project by November 8 and execute a long-term contract by Dec. 13. The contract would be submitted to the Department of Public Utilities for its approval by Jan. 10, 2020. The three projects vying to be selected are Mayflower Wind, Vineyard Wind 2 and Bay State Wind.”

For our last highlighted story of the week, we take another look at the SMART program with a story from WGBH, “Can Solar Power Save Massachusetts’ Cranberry Bogs? A state solar energy incentive program launched last November has a handful of Massachusetts cranberry farmers hoping for a new way to farm their fruit — and stay in the farming business. The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Energy Target (SMART) program awards farmers a stipend for the solar energy they produce from solar panels built over their active farmland. Some cranberry farmers are skeptical and say building solar panels over their bogs is too risky; it could destroy their crop. Others say solar panels are their only option to keep afloat in a struggling industry. Cranberries are the commonwealth’s largest agricultural food crop, but the industry has hit hard times. Last year, cranberry prices in Massachusetts cratered, falling to $22 for a barrel (or 100 pounds) of the fruit. It was a 29 percent tumble from prices the year before, and the lowest price per barrel in almost two decades. Under the SMART program, the state incentivizes farmers to build solar panels on their productive farmland. But there is a catch: the state requires farmers to continue producing food on the same land as the solar panels. The project’s goal is to preserve the state’s farmland while encouraging solar development. A handful of the state’s more than 300 cranberry growers are interested in installing the panels on their land. They say the state’s incentive plan would help them remain in the cranberry business.”

That’s the recap for this week. Have a wonderful weekend.

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

State Delays Review Of Proposed Natural Gas Compressor Station In Weymouth, WBUR

Southern N.E.’s Fossil-Fuel Infrastructure Builds Up, EcoRI

Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI

Search Continues for Strong Current of Tidal Power, EcoRI

Connecticut governor calls for 100% carbon-free power by 2040, Utility Dive

Biomass could replace natural gas at Brattleboro paper board factory, VT Digger

Repowering Rural New England Communities with Renewables, Triple Pundit

Wind

Latest round of offshore wind bid details released, South Coast Today

Why collaboration is critical to offshore wind and port success, Windpower Engineering & Development

Mayflower Wind promises lowest US price yet, CommonWealth Magazine

Fall River waterfront luring wind energy businesses, South Coast Today

Proposed Wind Farm Off Atlantic City May Use Oyster Creek Substation to Access Electric Grid, The Sandpaper

Kissing the Sky: The Pros and Cons of Ultra-Tall Wind Turbine Towers, Greentech Media

Select Board votes for all-wind electricity for Harvard, Harvard Press

Solar

State floats 800 megawatt expansion of solar program, MassLive

New Haven company looks to crowdfund solar panels for nonprofit, New Haven Register

Can Solar Power Save Massachusetts’ Cranberry Bogs?, WGBH

Report: Mass. solar sector absorbing job drain, South Coast Today

Back to school: Four lessons on solar energy for the real estate industry – by Craig Huntley, New England Real Estate Journal

Energy Efficiency/Storage

Energy Department to prolong the lives of incandescent lightbulbs, Washington Post

Worcester scores in bottom third in national report on energy efficiency, Telegram

EVs

Senior center drivers get electric-powered ride, Worcester Telegram

Nuclear

AG seeks stay of Pilgrim license transfer, Cape Cod Times

C-10 to host lecture by former NRC chairman, Newburyport Daily News

Market/Grid/Policy/Prices

Opponents take first formal step to bring CMP’s transmission project to a statewide vote, Bangor Daily News

List of Maine towns opposing CMP transmission corridor grows, Portland Press Herald

Middlebury wastewater-to-energy proposal gains momentum, Addison Independent

Researchers Propose Floating Microgrids Made up of Electric Boats, Microgrid Knowledge

LaFleur Exit Fuels Concern Of Future FERC Slowdown, Law360

Proposed utility box irks some Amherst councilors, Daily Hampshire Gazette

CLF sues to halt Eversource’s Seacoast power line project, Foster’s Daily Democrat

Editorial/Opinion

Our view: Don’t let Vineyard Wind lose momentum, Salem News

Cuomo’s pricey wind-power gift to unions, NY Post

Mark Amato: Agriculture, solar power, are a great match for state, Berkshire Eagle

Mass. should accelerate solar development, CommonWealth Magazine

Municipal Light Plants need to be part of greenhouse gas reduction efforts, The Landmark

Addressing our planet’s climate emergency, Greenfield Recorder

How net metering changes the electric utility landscape, Fosters.com

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Filed under Energy Efficiency, New England Energy News, Northeast Energy News, offshore wind, Pilgrim Closing, solar

Tagged as biomass, Connecticut, Eversource, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, offshore wind, solar

August 23, 2019 · 3:04 pm

Energy News for week ending August 23, 2019

License Transfer Approved | Is there anybody out there | Charge up with soap and laxatives

Happy Friday afternoon.

We start this week’s Energy News with news out today that the NRC approved Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station’s license transfer from Entergy to Holtec. Holtec promises to decommission the plant in 8-10 years vs. 60 years if Entergy were to remain the owner. From Power Engineering, “Federal regulators have approved Entergy Corp.’s application to transfer the licenses of the closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to a decommissioning specialist firm. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the Pilgrim transfer from Entergy to a subsidiary of Holtec International. This will pave the way for completing the plant sale to Holtec…Holtec International is a large player in the nuclear decommissioning and cleanup sector. Earlier this year, Entergy also decided on Holtec as the buyer for its Indian Point nuclear facility in New York, planned for closure by 2021. Pilgrim still employs close to 230 people after permanent shutdown on May 31.”

I’m guessing the answer is yes and we’ll find out soon enough as South Coast Today asks, “Will anyone bid? Bids are due Friday for Massachusetts’ second offshore wind farm, even as the first, Vineyard Wind, struggles to get federal approval. The deadline is Friday, Aug. 23 for confidential bids. By Aug. 30, companies must submit public versions of those bids that do not have to include pricing information. Vineyard Wind’s wholesale energy price last year was lower than expected, leading to concerns that bidders would shy away from trying to beat that price. The state’s 2016 energy law set a price cap by requiring each procurement to produce a lower energy price than the last. Within the last few weeks, Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature agreed to amend the fiscal year 2020 state budget to eliminate the price cap until 2021, when the cap will be reestablished, according to an official at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Vineyard Wind’s price was 6.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, in 2017 dollars, levelized over a 20-year term.”

The last highlight for this week, from our love of new technology stories, comes from the New York Times, “Soap, Detergent and Even Laxatives Could Turbocharge a Battery Alternative. Living in a world with smartphones, laptops and cars powered by batteries means putting up with two things: waiting for a depleted battery to charge, and charging it more frequently when its once-long life inevitably shortens. That’s why the battery’s cousin, the supercapacitor, is still in the game, even though batteries dominate electricity storage…In a study this month in the journal Nature Materials, researchers reported a new phenomenon that could potentially bring a supercapacitor’s energy storage capacity on par with lithium-ion batteries: by using a new class of electrolytes composed of ionic liquids, or salts that remain liquid at room temperature. The materials are abundant: The molecular components in this novel class of liquid salts are found in soaps, detergents and even stool softeners.” Talk about cleantech.

That’s the recap for this week. We’re going to take next Friday off from the news so we’ll be back in your inboxes on September 6^th.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the Labor Day holiday.

Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling

After dumping coal in front of State House, protesters vow to shut Bow power plant, Concord Monitor

Utility company tries to ease fears as gas pipeline, storage tank push continues, New Hampshire Union Leader

Longmeadow votes to ban construction of gas facility in residential zone, WWLP

21 states sue Trump administration over new coal rules, AP

Federal judge nixes lawsuit seeking gas pipeline in Maryland, Washington Post

Somerville startup wins spot in energy-focused accelerator program, (paywall) Boston Business Journal

Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI

How grid operators forecast weather and output from renewables, Utility Dive

Vermont farm turns manure into renewable energy, powering Middlebury College, NBC 5