Substantially completed | Warming hot spot | Vow to Move Forward | Cathartic Cleansing
Good afternoon folks. We start this week’s recap with some good news.
From the Eagle Tribune, “Columbia Gas president says second phase of repairs ‘substantially’ completed. Kempic said Columbia Gas workers have paved more than 150 driveways, sidewalks and private streets, as well as four state roads. There have been 870 projects involving poured concrete, according to the company’s tally. More than 3,500 properties have been aesthetically improved with seeding, in addition to landscaping and greenery. The company has also replaced heating and gas appliances for thousands of customers impacted by the disaster resulting from an over-pressurized gas line. ‘This fulfills Columbia Gas’ commitment to replace by Sept. 15, 2019, those affected appliances and equipment in customers’ homes which were only repaired in fall of 2018,’ according to a statement from Columbia Gas on Thursday. Kempic made clear while addressing the media that ‘while we’ve done a lot of work, we have a lot to do,’ he said. ‘We’re here for the long-term…’ The company is providing free insulation to homes in the three communities impacted through the end of 2019, to help curb heating bills. ‘We’re going to continue to work with the communities impacted; rebuilding trust in those communities,’ Kempic said.”
Some not so good climate news this week comes to us from the Washington Post, “A detailed analysis of 124 years of climate data across the United States shows that the Northeast is one of the fastest-warming regions in the country, with parts of the region exceeding the 2-degree Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) warming threshold defined by global policymakers as constituting ‘dangerous’ levels of climate change…In New England, warming is causing changes in the fishing industry, as warm water species move north. The Northeast’s average annual temperatures have increased the fastest during wintertime, in keeping with climate change projections that show cold seasons warming faster than warm seasons. New Jersey’s average temperature has climbed by close to 2 degrees Celsius since 1895, which is double average rate for the Lower 48 states. According to the new analysis, NOAA data shows that every Northeast state except for Pennsylvania has seen at least a 2-degree Celsius temperature increase since the late 19th century. This is resulting in earlier ice snow and ice melt across the region and fears of an endangered tourism industry reliant on winter sports.”
Of course everyone is looking to offshore wind to amp up our supply of carbon free generation. But the news of the delay in the fed’s review of Vineyard Wind sounded a lot of alarms. But fear not, according to a State House News Service story in the Taunton Gazette, “Vineyard Wind on Monday vowed that it will move forward with its $2.8 billion, 84-turbine wind farm project despite a new delay caused by the federal government, though the project will take shape on a new, yet-to-be-determined timeline. The U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday put a freeze on a crucial environmental impact statement for Vineyard Wind, once slated to be the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in America, so they can study the wider impacts of an offshore wind industry that is quickly ramping up. Vineyard Wind officials had said in July that the entire project would be at risk if the federal government did not issue the permit by the end of August and the latest delay is likely to upend the supply chain, financing and construction timeline for the project chosen by the Baker administration and state utility companies to fulfill part of a 2016 clean energy law. On Monday, Vineyard Wind — a joint venture of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables — said its shareholders had ‘affirmed a commitment to deliver a proposed 800-megawatt (MW) wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts, albeit with a delayed project schedule.’ Project officials have been working with contractors and financiers to rework the timeline — and Gov. Charlie Baker has spoken with Vice President Mike Pence about the project — but a new schedule has not yet been determined.”
Here’s an unusual energy story – sort of – from the NH Union Leader, “16-foot effigy of transmission tower burned to celebrate demise of Northern Pass. In a cathartic cleansing by fire, some of the earliest opponents of the Northern Pass Transmission project gathered at the Poore Family Homestead Historic Farm Museum on Saturday to burn a model of a high-voltage tower…Before it was set on fire, the tower model, made of wood and built by Rick Johnsen and his son Zach, was filled with the detritus of the often contentious struggle between NPT and its opponents: inch-thick reports and studies, both pro and con; flyers; route maps; signs.”
That’s the recap for this week. Have a wonderful weekend!
Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling
Columbia Gas president says second phase of repairs ‘substantially’ completed, Eagle Tribune
Charlton seeks more time to weigh in on LNG plant proposal, Telegram.com
Weymouth: Federal Stay on Permit Processes for proposed Compressor Station Ends Today, WATD-FM
Weymouth, Braintree, Hingham, Quincy appeal compressor permit, Wicked Local
Columbia Gas completes replaces appliances affected by Merrimack Valley explosions, Boston Globe
EPA seeks to limit states leveraging Clean Water Act to block pipelines, Washington Times
Massachusetts Among 22 States Suing Trump Administration Over New Coal Rules, CBS Boston / WBZ
Renewables/Climate Change/RGGI
Massachusetts Close to Finalizing a Clean Peak Standard. Good News for Microgrids, Microgrid Knowledge
The Northeast is a warming hot spot, Post analysis finds, Washington Post
Once-Unpopular Carbon Credits Emerge as One of the World’s Best Investments, Wall St. Journal
2°C: BEYOND THE LIMIT, Extreme climate change has arrived in America, Washington Post
Analysis: Total US renewables generation down 1% year on year, S&P Global Platts
Self-tweeting tree is Harvard’s newest climate change educator, Boston Globe
Renewables’ variability sends wary utilities from traditional DR to DER and load flexibility, Utility Dive
RGGI Generates $38.58M in Carbon-Permit Sale, Greentech Media
16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg says no company on Earth right now has a climate change strategy that’s good enough, Business Insider
Converting to Geothermal Energy, New York Times
Vineyard Wind
Community leaders rally for action on federal permit for Vineyard Wind, Cape Cod Times
Feds’ delay puts crucial tax credit in jeopardy for Vineyard Wind, Boston Globe
Vineyard Wind backers commit to delayed project, Taunton Gazette
Vineyard’s Delay Exposes Challenges for Fast-Moving US Offshore Wind Market, Greentech Media
Vineyard Wind layout tough issue for regulators, CommonWealth Magazine
Industry group knocks feds’ ‘regrettable’ move on Vineyard Wind, Boston Business Journal
Sens. Warren And Markey Speak Out Against Vineyard Wind Decision, NA Windpower
Vineyard Wind dealt severe blow by feds, Martha’s Vineyard Times
Fed study of offshore wind could run into 2020, southcoasttoday.com
Wind
6 Offshore Wind Farms the Size of Nuclear Power Plants, Greentech Media
Falmouth Wind Turbine II MassDEP Loan Update -It’s A Loan, Patch
Commissioners divided on Hancock Wind settlement, Ellsworth America
Solar
Outshining fossil fuel: Your guide to the revolution in solar energy, New Scientist
Former Maine landfills finding new life with solar development, MaineBiz
A hotter planet will make solar power less efficient, MIT Technology Review
Everyone loves a guaranteed discount: New financing approach drives community solar growth, Utility Dive
Hyundai Creates a Car With a Roof-Based Solar Charging System, Entrepreneur
Energy Efficiency/Storage
Fall River businesses could benefit from state’s energy efficiency loans, Herald News
New York regulators call on FERC to exempt energy storage from NYISO’s mitigation measures, Utility Dive
EPA details renewables, efficiency health benefits as DOE slows energy savings progress, Utility Dive
Giant Batteries Supercharge Wind and Solar Plans, Wall St. Journal
EVs
Electric vehicles may not be able to avoid road maintenance taxes for much longer, Pacific Standard
US needs to invest $2.2 billion to meet EV charging demand through 2025: ICCT, Utility Dive
Nuclear
NRC staff approves sale of Pilgrim nuclear power plant, AP
Inside the lab where Bill Gates’ TerraPower is inventing the future of nuclear energy, GeekWire
New resident inspector named at Seabrook Station, Newburyport Daily News
Role of decommissioning citizen panels questioned, Brattleboro Reformer
Battle Emerges Over Nuclear Waste in America’s Oil Patch, Wall St. Journal
Meltdown averted: How VR headsets are making nuclear power plants safer, ZDNet
Russia’s floating nuclear power plant in the Arctic causes anxiety in Alaska, KTUU.com
Market/Grid/Policy/Prices
Coal, nuclear could see boost in New England this winter as new tariff goes into effect, Utility Dive
US Northeast power grid operators begin preparations for massive offshore wind additions, S&P Global
FERC Commissioner Chatterjee Issues Statement on ISO New England, Energy Central
New York initiative aims to eliminate conflicts between resource adequacy, clean energy goals, Utility Dive
Businesses complain GMP rate bumps could total 16%, VT Digger
New Jersey Prepares for Second Round of Microgrid Funding, Microgrid Knowledge
State agrees to additional public hearing on rate changes, SILive
New York initiative aims to eliminate conflicts between resource adequacy, clean energy goals, Utility Dive
Controversial New England Power Fix Shows U.S. Agency Split, Bloomberg
PSEG, union start talks after workers reject contract extension, Newsday
Wilton calls special town meeting for utility moratorium, Sun Journal
Study on Massachusetts utilities released, Wicked Local
Lawyers for aggrieved customers pan CMP compensation fund, Portland Press Herald
16-foot effigy of transmission tower burned to celebrate demise of Northern Pass, New Hampshire Union Leader
Editorial/Opinion
To save our climate, start with our buildings, Boston Globe
Mayors of Salem, Holyoke call for carbon fee, CommonWealth Magazine
Letter: Time for uniform reporting of gas leaks, Salem News
Daniel Blackerby: Mills on front line of climate change, Sun Journal
Now is the time for offshore wind, The Hill
Northeast Energy News 