6 months | Encouraged | Pyroelectric
Good afternoon.
We start this week’s recap with some grim news from The Guardian. “The world has only six months in which to change the course of the climate crisis and prevent a post-lockdown rebound in greenhouse gas emissions that would overwhelm efforts to stave off climate catastrophe, one of the world’s foremost energy experts has warned. ‘This year is the last time we have, if we are not to see a carbon rebound,’ said Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. Governments are planning to spend $9tn (£7.2tn) globally in the next few months on rescuing their economies from the coronavirus crisis, the IEA has calculated. The stimulus packages created this year will determine the shape of the global economy for the next three years, according to Birol, and within that time emissions must start to fall sharply and permanently, or climate targets will be out of reach. ‘The next three years will determine the course of the next 30 years and beyond,’ Birol told the Guardian. ‘If we do not [take action] we will surely see a rebound in emissions. If emissions rebound, it is very difficult to see how they will be brought down in future. This is why we are urging governments to have sustainable recovery packages.’”
One of the ways to keep emissions down is to bring more renewable resources online. The State House News Service via the Cape Cod Times reported this week that Vineyard Wind got some encouraging news. “Vineyard Wind I, the project that has been eyed as the first utility-scale offshore wind development in the country, will be ready to move forward once a federal permit the developer hopes will be issued by December is in hand, the project’s chief executive said. Vineyard Wind CEO Lars Pedersen said Thursday his company views the recent Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s supplement to the draft environmental impact statement for the 800-megawatt project as a positive step forward. ‘We read it in a way where we feel that BOEM is acknowledging that the impacts that we have, the changes that we have made, all in all makes it a project that should be moving forward, and that the mitigations we have put in place for various stakeholders are sufficient to counter the impacts that the project will have,’ he said. The bureau rocked the entire offshore wind industry in August with its plan to withhold the final environmental impact statement for Vineyard Wind I while it studied the wider impacts of a sector that is hoping to ramp up in Northeast and mid-Atlantic waters also used by the fishing sector. Last week, the agency issued its update and began a 45-day public comment period. A federal decision on a final permit for Vineyard Wind I is expected by Dec. 18. Before federal officials launched the broad review of wind projects, a decision on permit approval had been expected by Aug. 16, 2019. The 800-megawatt project is a joint venture of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables planned for waters 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.”
For our new energy technology feature this week we look to UConn. “UConn’s Associate Dean for Research and Industrial Partnerships, S. Pamir Alpay, and Yomery Espinal ’18 PhD (ENG) have published a paper on a novel portable pyroelectric technology in Cell Reports Physical Science with support from the Army Research Laboratory. Pyroelectric energy research is focused on how to generate energy from heat that would otherwise be wasted in a catalytic chemical reaction. When pyroelectric materials are heated, their polarization changes, leading to an electron flow that generates energy. These materials are commonly used in household devices like motion sensor lights, which detect body heat to determine when someone is near. Anytime there is a catalytic reaction, heat is generated. These devices harness that heat and use it as energy. For example, a combustion engine in a car produces heat that, with this kind of technology, could be used to power the electrical functions of the car that otherwise rely on battery power. The Army Research Lab (ARL) is particularly interested in this technology because it can provide more power with less weight, which is important for soldiers carrying heavy bags. While scientists have been experimenting with pyroelectric power for decades, the technology proposed in this paper is completely novel.”
That’s the recap for this week. Have a great weekend and as always, stay safe.
Energy Efficiency/Storage
Eversource Providing Virtual Energy Efficiency Pre-Assessments To Customers, Patch.com
IEA calls for $3tn green recovery plan targeting energy efficiency and renewables, Engineering and Technology
Bill would pay home batteries for peak shaving and avoiding power-line buildout, Granite Geek
Homes Gain Momentum as ‘Grid Flexibility’ Resources, Microgrid Knowledge
Sunrun to Turn Home Batteries Into Grid Resources for 2 Major Utilities, Greentech Media
Climate Change/Renewables/RGGI
Climate Change Is Killing Americans. Health Departments Aren’t Equipped To Respond, PublicIntegrity.org
Climate Change Tied to Pregnancy Risks, Affecting Black Mothers Most, New York Times
World has six months to avert climate crisis, says energy expert, The Guardian
A War Against Climate Science, Waged by Washington’s Rank and File, New York Times
Temperature spike: Earth ties record high heat May reading, Politico
Carbon Capture Will Require Large Public Subsidies to Support Coal and Gas Power, Desmog Blog
New York Proposes Regional Greenhouse Gas Changes, National Law Review
Trump’s EPA balks at a chance to save black lives, Vox.com
The deep sea could hold the key to a renewable future. Is it worth the costs?, Grist.org
Cleantech incubator Greentown Labs expands to Houston, Utility Dive
Turning manure into money, Washington Post
Emissions Are Surging Back as Countries and States Reopen, New York Times
Clean energy groups to propose FERC rules for national transmission system saving $47B a year, Utility Dive
Theoharides: Transpo emission pact still priority, CommonWealth Magazine
Maine gets more than $2.5M from cap-and-trade program, Caledonian Record
State Environmental Officials Announce Student and School Recipients of ‘Green Team’ Awards, Lynn Journal
Wind
Vineyard Wind encouraged by federal signals, State House News via Cape Cod Times
New Jersey to Build Nation’s Largest Offshore Wind Port, Greentech Media
As They Reach Retirement Age, Wind Farms Become Prime Investments, Bloomberg Green
FERC schedules technical conferences on carbon pricing, offshore wind integration challenges, Utility Dive
Solar
Solar net metering changes could harm US market, affect energy storage, S&P Global Platts
Boston organization stirs ire of solar advocates, CommonWealth Magazine
Utilities remain mute on FERC net metering petition, leave filing to face overwhelming opposition, Utility Dive
In a first, STAG launches solar projects in Mass., Boston Business Journal (subscriber content)
NARUC, NASEO team up to tackle distributed solar cyber risks as vulnerabilities grow, Utility Dive
EVs
Electric vehicles to set new market share record in 2020, S&P Global Market Intelligence
Lyft Pledges Shift to 100% Electric Vehicles by 2030, Greentech Media
Natural Gas/Oil/Pipeline/Drilling
With Air Permit Vacated, Senators Call For Construction To Stop On Weymouth Compressor, WBUR
New York activists target National Grid gas project after Williams shelves pipeline, S&P Global Platts
Gas disaster settlement fees in question, Eagle Tribune
Natural Gas Heads for Record Drop in Global Demand, Bloomberg
Effort to keep state’s largest power plant open fuels concern about climate, public health, Boston Globe
The Gas Industry Is Paying Instagram Influencers to Gush Over Gas Stoves, Mother Jones
Nuclear
Holtec and state agree on safety and financial terms for decommissioning Pilgrim nuclear plant, Boston Globe
Settlement sets guardrails for Plymouth nuclear plant decommissioning, South Coast Today
Trump policy change could be game changer for small nuclear reactors, Washington Examiner
Bills for Jobs, Local Funding at Indian Point Approved, The Examiner
Global annual installed capacity of nuclear power to decline to 3GW due to Covid-19, Power Technology
Market/Grid/Policy/Prices
Before the U.S. Can Have Clean Power, It Needs More Power Lines, Bloomberg News via Financial Post
Rising energy loads from fewer COVID-19 limits, warming weather spark utility readiness concerns, Utility Dive
Smart Energy Grids Become More Compelling, IoT World Today
What the Coming Wave of Distributed Energy Resources Means for the US Grid, Greentech Media
Divided FERC approves New England ISO short-term fuel security plan despite cost concerns, Utility Dive
Novel Waste-to-Energy Microgrid Aims to Provide Resilience in Camden, New Jersey, Microgrid Knowledge
Opinion
Our view: Huge potential for offshore energy, Salem News
New transmission infrastructure needed for offshore wind, CommonWealth Magazine
It’s time for a green stimulus: Here’s how a small Vermont utility can show the way, Utility Dive
This is not the way to move beyond net metering, Utility Dive
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