Just In! for September 30, 2023

The weekly newsletter of the New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO)

Just In! is NY-GEO's weekly news feed for members. See more information on memberships here. If we send you a complimentary copy and you're not a member of NY-GEO, it means we value your role in the transition to renewable heating, but without a membership, please don't count on getting Just In! weekly. For past issues, check out the Just In! Archive available on the NY-GEO.org website. Note: Just In! won't publish October 7th and 14th.

IRS Can Unlock the Market for the Most Efficient Form of Heating & Cooling – Mary Riddle – Triple Pundit – “The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows third-party ownership programs for people who want to install rooftop solar panels but do not want to purchase their own system and pay for installation. These programs allow companies to use homeowners’ roofs and pay them for the electricity that their solar panels produce.  Today, a third of all U.S. rooftop solar installations are governed by a third-party ownership arrangement.  Geothermal providers want the same considerations for their geothermal heating and cooling systems.” thanks to Ryan Dougherty of the GeoExchange Organization for this tip. Article link here.

NY City Councilmembers Voice Support for NY Heat – Marie J. French – Politico Weekly News - Eleven New York City Council members signed a letter pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul to include a measure to cap utility bills for low-income residents and stop subsidizing new gas hookups in her 2024 budget proposal.  'New York cannot lead the nation on climate and energy policy if we continue forcing New Yorkers to pour money into the fracked gas system that’s killing them," the letter says. Letter Here.

Councilmember Lincoln Restler, one of the HEAT Act letter signers, along with Betta Broad of New Yorkers for Clean Power at the Climate Week Sustainable Building Resource Fair

NY-GEO Members Celebrated in Westchester – The Westchester County Board of Legislators declared September 28th 2023 - Marvin Church and Dr. Diana Williams day in Westchester County NY for (ELOC) Environmental Leaders of Color. Church and Williams have been stand-out members of NY-GEO for years, and the accomplishments of their ground-breaking ELOC program have been featured in Just In!.  ELOC website here.

Williams (center) and Church (right) with ELOC Scholarship Funder Carlton Brown (left) accepting an earlier 2022 Congressional Proclamation

Biden/Governor’s Heat Pump Pledge Includes Exploration of “Zero-Emission Appliance Standards for Space And Water Heating Equipment” – Essentially A Phase Out Of Fossil Fuel Equipment – US Climate Alliance – When Governor Hochul joined President Biden and 24 other governors in a pledge to quadruple the number of US heat pumps by 2030, there were a number other pledges associated with the event. Among them were one to explore zero-emission standards that would essentially phase out fossil fuel equipment. It was committed to by 10 states, including New York. as a point of reference, the NY Climate Action Council’s Scoping Plan recommended “2030: adopt zero-emission standards that prohibit replacements (at end of useful life) of residential-sized equipment used for the combustion of fossil fuels for heating and cooling and hot water.” Another commitment made by 8 states, including New York, would explore the development of “clean heat standards” which can be a helpful decarbonization tool, but which also can open the door to endorsing renewable natural gas and hydrogen use in the heating sector. Article link here.

Geo Outlook Resumes Publication ! – Jeff Hammond – IGSHPA - “After a hiatus of nearly four years, GeoOutlook is back!  We still have an archive of magazines dating from the very first issue 20 years ago until the final issue produced by Oklahoma State University in 2019.  As an independent non-profit since September 2020, IGSHPA is now in a position to restart this wonderful magazine that I always looked forward to reading every quarter.” First new issue here.

2030 Club: 25 Utilities Embrace 80% Carbon Reduction by 2030 – Julian Spector - Canary Media - "A decade after the utility industry balked at the Obama administration’s clean power plan regulations, just about every large utility in the U.S. has promised to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by midcentury.  But a growing subset of the industry isn’t waiting a couple of decades to act: they’re pushing for 80% carbon reductions by 2030."  Article link here.

Charging Up: A Chat with Tracey Ogden, VP of Drilling Operations at Brightcore Energy – Eric Wesoff, Maria Virgina Olano – Canary Media – “I have been in the drilling space for about 30 years. twenty-six of those have been in geothermal.  I was part of a family-owned drilling company, eager to find more opportunities to keep our rigs running, and in 1995, after installing a few geothermal wells, it dawned on me that this could be a viable way to ensure our equipment stayed operational…I recently joined Brightcore Energy… One project I’m notably proud of is the Java Street Project in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, which is one of the largest residential geothermal projects in the country. …There’s a lot of grant money available, and we’ve been able to capture that.”  Article link here.

Tracey Ogden is Vice President of Drilling Operations at Brightcore Energy.

Solar Delivers for the Texas Grid: Reliable Output at Peak Demand – Seth Feaster & Dennis Wamsted – Renewable Energy World - “Electricity demand in Texas set records again this summer as population growth and searing temperatures pushed consumption up sharply. But the high reliability of utility-scale solar power during peak demand hours, boosted by the rapid expansion of solar capacity over the past year, played a significant role in keeping the grid operating smoothly.” Article link here.

Con Edison: More Extreme Climate Impacts and Hotter Days - Marie J. French – POLITICO – “New York’s largest utility has revised its forecast of climate change impacts on its electric system — forecasting a quicker increase in extreme temperatures and heavy rainfall events. High temperature days exceeding 95 degrees are expected to occur in 2030 at a frequency of 17 days annually — an estimate previously not expected until 2040, according to the study."  Article link here.

Outdoor Pollution is Coming from Inside the House – National Building Pollution Report – We Act For Social Justice, Sierra Club And Physicians For Social Responsibility – 18 pages – “Burning fossil fuels for space and water heating emits health-harming and climate-disrupting pollution, including (but not limited to) nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (pm2.5), and carbon dioxide (CO₂)… (it) negatively impacts human health and the climate, and these impacts disproportionately burden vulnerable populations…” Report link here.

Critical View of Adams NYC Climate Law Revisions – Pete Sikora – New York Focus – “Mayor Adams… Released draft regulations this month that would create two big loopholes for building owners to skate by the law’s initial requirements, allowing them either a two-year extension or an option to buy their way out of upgrading their buildings. The vast majority of building owners are in compliance with the law’s initial requirements.  To get those who aren’t to take the law seriously, the city needs to show it takes the law seriously.  Fines get the message across. letting owners off the hook does the opposite…” Thanks to Charley Bowman of WNY Drilling Defense for this tip. Article link here.

Queens Neighborhood Appeals for Disadvantaged Community Status – Roxanne Scott – City Limits – “Under New York’s Climate Law, 'Disadvantaged Communities' that have borne the brunt of pollution and other environmental issues are being prioritized for funding and climate-related benefits. But swaths of Southeast Queens didn’t make the cut, what local leaders say was an oversight. (Senators Leroy) Comrie, (James) Sanders and Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, whose district includes parts of Jamaica and Addisleigh Park, said they’re committed to working with advocates and constituents to ensure more sections of Southeast Queens are included in future updates.” Article link here.

5,000 Homes Could Be Switched To Geothermal Energy, Free Of Charge – Ian Froese – CBC news -“Last week, NDP (New Democratic Party) candidate Adrien Sala announced that his party would fund all geothermal equipment and installation costs for 5,000 families in St. James, Manitoba, if elected on October 3rd. the plan would be the first of its kind in Canada, and a bold step towards ditching fossil fuel based heating… Could it cause a ripple effect in other provinces? The multi-residential industry at large?” Thanks to the Diverso Energy Digest for this tip. Article link here.



Contractor's Corner:

Clean Heat Program Updates – Follow up from the 2023 10 14 Participating and Industry Partners meeting. See the Clean Heat Contractor webpage – thanks to Cara Lee Battaglia, Executive Director of the Building Performance Contractors Association (BPCA) for this summary

• New Program Manuals for Con Ed and Central Hudson, Nat Grid, NYSEG, O&R, and RG&E released Sept 1^st.
• New resources include custom incentive calculators for Cat 6 DHW and hrcs/hpcs, updated custom and prescriptive calculators, a geothermal startup checklist, updated decommissioning checklist, and updated utility "sell sheets".
• Heat recovery chillers (hrcs) and heat pump chillers (hpcs) are newly eligible for custom incentives in all service territories except RG&E. 
• Incentives for air-to-water heat pumps (awhps) will be rolled out in Q4 2023 in Con Ed territory and Q1 2024 in other territories. Eligibility & incentive details available at those times.
• Con Ed announced 1. Increases to select incentives on 7/12   2. Additional incentives for eligible Residential, Multifamily, and Small Business customers within the Soundview area of the Bronx. 3. Incentives for Cat 5 hpwhs are now available directly to customers. 4. Con Ed has a limited-time fall promotion for residential ASHP decommissioning projects installed Aug 21-Dec 15, 2023. 

NYSERDA Seeks Driller Feedback By October 6^th - "NYSERDA is interested in learning about the installation costs associated with the loop installation for ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems.  We are interested in hearing from well drillers and loop installers that have installed geothermal loops within the last 24 months.  This survey is focused on understanding your cost per linear foot of installing a GSHP loop. The survey is completely anonymous… The survey is estimated to take under 15 minutes to complete and will close on October 6."  Link to survey here.

Home Builders $500-$5,000 Ira Credit Guidance Released – IRS Press Release – “To qualify for the credit, homes must be eligible to participate in certain energy star programs and meet applicable energy saving requirements based on home type. For homes acquired in 2023 through 2032, the credit amount ranges from $500 to $5,000, depending on whether Energy Star or Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements are met. These programs certify the energy efficiency of a home’s appliances, lighting, insulation, and duct systems, as well as whether the home can accommodate heat pumps and electric vehicles. homes must be certified by a third-party to verify they meet the requirements.” Thanks to David Smedick for this tip.  Article ink here.

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo

Climate Updates:

Torrential Downpour Floods 150 NYC Schools, Throws Commutes into Disarray - Michael Elsen-Rooney, Alex Zimmerman, Julian Shen-Berro and Amy Zimmer – Chalkbeat New York – “The downpour, which dumped 5 inches in some parts of New York City by early Friday morning, affected service on every subway line, delayed dozens of school buses, and prompted both Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul to issue a state of emergency. Friday’s attendance rate of 77% was significantly down from about 90% the day before.” (From 2023 09 30 – City & State First Read) Article Link Here.

Marginalized Neighborhoods are Hotter - Amy Green – Inside Climate News - "A growing volume of evidence suggests the temperature differences are no coincidence. Nationwide the hottest urban areas tend to be the neighborhoods with low-income communities and communities of color.  In nearly every instance, researchers can trace a link to a nearly century-old federal program aimed at helping homeowners during the great depression that was turned against those who needed it most, because of a practice known as redlining.” Article link here.

The Climate Threat of LNG - Bill McKibben – The Crucial Years – “To put it simply, with the invention of fracking, America—and Canada, and Australia—ended up with huge supplies of fossil gas. It’s not really needed—we could, more cheaply and much more cleanly, power the world with sun, wind, and batteries. But if that happened, the people who own these reserves would have to forego the hundreds of billions of dollars they could get for selling that gas... So they’re in an all-out sprint to get it to market as fast as they can, mostly by exporting it around the world. In the U.S., there are already seven giant LNG export terminals, and there are plans for at least twenty more, mostly along the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana and Texas, which are close by the giant gas fields of the Permian Basin.” Article link here.

Viral Hit Song Videos About Climate Change – Mike Munsell - Canary Media – “Oli Frost is a climate-change-focused novelty songwriter, and his song ‘The Vampire Conspiracy’ garnered millions of views across platforms like tiktok, Spotify and Instagram last year”… Frost: ”I read about climate change every day, but even for me, watching something that’s going to tell me about how terrible the world is — I will do it, but a part of my brain doesn’t want to. So, I’m trying to make things that people would want to look at.” Article link here.

Life and Death in America’s Hottest City – Carolyn Kormann - The New Yorker “Across the U.S., significantly more people die from heat each year than from any other weather-related event.  Many of these deaths are concentrated in and around Phoenix.” This touching and well written story brings us closer to the future we are beginning to share. Thanks to Laura Grube for this tip.  Article link here.



Frequent Sources for Just In! briefs:

Green Energy Times

City & State First Read

POLITICO Weekly NY & NJ Energy email)

Canary Media

National Building Electrification Network & Sunstone Strategies



Just in! thanks NY-GEO board member John Ciovacco of Aztech Geothermal for his frequent proofreading contributions to this publication and Paul Maliszewski and John Rath for their work on the briefs.

EVENTS:

*Indicates a New Listing or Updated Information

*2023 09 30 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Brooklyn – 5:00 pm ET - Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - This transformative piece of climate legislation is designed to kickstart New York's home energy transition from fossil fuels to heat pumps while protecting low and middle-income households from rising utility costs. “We're bringing an interactive art performance called a Cantastoria to learn about the NY HEAT Act in a fun and accessible way, free Renewable Heat Now swag, an induction cooking demo, and delicious vegetarian chili. Bring your friends and neighbors and your appetite!” Details here.

*2023 10 02 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Croton on Hudson – 6:00 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 03 to 12 05 - 10 Week Hybrid Certified GeoExchange Designer Course Online with Ed Lohrenz - Tuesday lunchtime for 10 weeks, 12:00 – 1:30 pm ET - Option to Complete in-person at 2023 IGSHPA Conference- live, online & interactive. Register here.

*2023 10 03 to 05 - Accredited Installer Training with HRAI- Online - 9:30-5:30 ET - Get more information & register here.

*2023 10 04 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Poughkeepsie – 6:00 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

2023 10 05 – Geothermal Economics: Understanding and Leveraging the Inflation Reduction Act – 2:00 pm ET – Speaker: Joe Parsons, Climate Master ”This session provides an explanation of how to leverage IRA Tax Credits up to 50% for the installation of geothermal systems for commercial building owners and 30% for homeowners. Understand how to maximize accelerated depreciation deductions and government rebates for nonprofit entities.” Register here.

*2023 10 05 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to New Paltz – 700 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 11 – IGSHPA Town Hall with Alexis McKittrick – 11:30 am ET – Speaker: Alexis McKittrick of US Department of Energy, GTO Office, Topic: Navigating the U.S. Department of Energy. This presentation will help answer GHP industry questions pertaining to training and curriculum development and how to navigate DOE. A tour of DOE’s organization and where information can be found, with an eye toward GHPs, will be the focus. Register here.

*2023 10 11 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Syracuse – 6:00 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 12 - NYSERDA In-Person Inflation Reduction Act Stakeholder Session - 9:00 am – 4:00 pm ET at The Crown Plaza Albany -Desmond Hotel – To consider how the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) Program and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Programs can best be utilized to assist New Yorkers – “This session will feature informational presentations followed by interactive breakout sessions based on a specific of topics of interest. We hope you can join us for this important day to share information and continue collaboration. A meeting of NYSERDA’s Residential Market Advisory Group (RMAG) on the following day at the same venue will also be held.“  Contact Scott.Oliver@nyserda.ny.gov or call (518) 774-1908 with any questions regarding registration or event details. RSVP by October 9^th here. 

*2023 10 12 - Unlocking Community Rebates and Incentives - 1:00 to 2:30pm ET - Join BE-Ex (Building Energy Exchange) Kansas City and the Building Performance Partnership for the next event in the Building a Better Future series – Unlocking Community Rebates and Incentives. Our panelists will provide a comprehensive overview of the federal tax incentives and rebate programs geared toward underserved populations, with an emphasis on Justice40. Register here.

*2023 10 12 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Cortland – 5:30 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 12 - Renewable Heat Now Power Hour – 7:00-8:00 pm ET – Renewable Heat Now (RHN) is organizing intensively for NY’s transition to clean, fossil-fuel free heating. Join RHN for its monthly Power Hour, a strategy meeting designed to inspire and inform. All are welcome to attend, and if you’re new to the movement for renewable heat, these meetings are a great place to learn and get plugged in! Register here.

*2023 10 13 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Ithaca – 5:00 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 15 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Rochester – Noon ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 16 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Binghamton – 5:30 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 18 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Hudson – 6:00 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

2023 10 17-19 – IGSHPA Accredited Installer Training with WaterFurnace – Hampton Inn and Suites – Poughkeepsie – “Learning to install Ground-Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems will keep you competitive in a market forced to deal with rising energy costs and resource depletion. Installer accreditation enables you to open new markets and offers customers a low-maintenance, economical, and environmentally friendly alternative for their space conditioning needs. With more than 35 years of experience teaching these workshops, accrediting thousands of installers, and developing the industry standards, IGSHPA has pioneered training in GSHP installation.” Register here.

*2023 10 19 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Albany – 6:30 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 21 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Saranac Lake – Noon ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

*2023 10 25 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Buffalo – 7:00 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.

2023 10 27 – IGSHPA Dig Deeper - GHP Impact Analysis – 11:30 am ET – Speaker: Jeff Winick & Sean Porse of U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office, “In Fiscal Year 2022, with GTO support, ORNL and NREL conducted a modeling assessment of the grid impacts resulting from the mass deployment of GHPs. Modeled changes in end use load profiles for the US building stock and their impacts on the bulk power system were analyzed under various carbon policy, electrification, and sensitivity scenarios using capacity expansion modeling (ReEDS) and production cost modeling (PLEXOS). The results demonstrate GHPs’ significant aggregate value to a decarbonizing grid through reduced infrastructure requirements, reduced emissions, and improved grid efficiency.” Register here. 

*2023 11 09 - Renewable Heat Now November Power Hour – 7:00-8:00 pm ET – Renewable Heat Now (RHN) is organizing intensively for NY’s transition to clean, fossil-fuel free heating. Join RHN for its monthly Power Hour, a strategy meeting designed to inspire and inform. All are welcome to attend, and if you’re new to the movement for renewable heat, these meetings are a great place to learn and get plugged in! Register here.

2023 12 05 to 07 - IGSHPA Annual Conference - “Geothermal, the Genius Renewable”– The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) will be holding its annual conference December 5 to 7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. IGSHPA is partnering again this year with NGWA (National Ground Water Association). Early bird registration is open now, along with exhibitor, sponsorship, and advertising opportunities. Keynote speaker will be Alejandro Moreno, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy.  For more information, check out the conference page.

*2023 12 14 - Renewable Heat Now December Power Hour – 7:00-8:00 pm ET – Renewable Heat Now (RHN) is organizing intensively for NY’s transition to clean, fossil-fuel free heating. Join RHN for its monthly Power Hour, a strategy meeting designed to inspire and inform. All are welcome to attend, and if you’re new to the movement for renewable heat, these meetings are a great place to learn and get plugged in! Register here..

2024 04 08&09 – NY-GEO 2024 Albany- We are excited to share there will be two conference events in 2024 with content focused on both the diverse residential and commercial markets in NYS. We look forward to sharing registration, sponsorship, and exhibiting information SOON. Albany, April 8-9 will open with an exhibitor happy hour on the 8th and a full day of session tracks on the 9^th with a focus on Upstate topics.  Brooklyn, October 21-23 includes two full days of sessions (4 tracks), the popular NY-GEO Annual Dinner and planning for a day of local project site tours. It’s NY-GEO’s first conference Downstate and will emphasize content on how to address densely populated areas and large commercial buildings to be sure!  NY-GEO Members can attend the conferences at a discounted rate, so now is a good time to renew your membership through 2024.

2024 05 28 to 30 – IGSHPA Research Conference - The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) is pleased to announce that the next IGSHPA Research Conference will be held at Polytechnique Montréal. This is the fourth in a series of research conferences held in Denver (2017), Stockholm (2018), and Las Vegas (2022). Like the previous three conferences, papers will undergo peer-review to ensure quality. Details will follow, but it is anticipated that abstracts will be due on September 18, 2023 and papers due around November 20, 2023. Conference website - https://igshpa.org/igshpa-research-conference/

2024 10 21 to 23 – NY-GEO 2024 Brooklyn

JOBS !                                                                    * = new listing

Just In! has carried job listings since our inception in 2019. We’re aware of sources that have been doing a better job of compiling and tracking job listings and instead of posting individual jobs this section will now point you to good sources of job information: 

NY-GEO Website job listings are here.

The Building Performance Contractors Association (BPCA) Career Center is here

New Yorkers for Clean Power is proud to lead the charge for green jobs through Clean Energy Careers NY, a collaborative initiative to create equitable clean energy careers pathways in New York to help achieve the state’s climate and clean energy goals…”We're excited to launch the Clean Energy Careers New York Newsletter! The newsletter is chock-full of Clean Energy Careers NY resources, event information, job opportunities, and more. If you're a job seeker, a trainer, an employer, or a clean energy advocate, this newsletter is for you! (listed 2023 07 22) Read the newsletter here.

Ongoing – NYSERDA is hiring! The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has ongoing recruitment opportunities. Join our email list or check this page periodically to learn about new career opportunities. All qualified individuals will be evaluated for each relevant position for which they apply. Opportunities include:

NYSERDA Career Opportunities

NY Green Bank Career Opportunities

Paid Fellowship Opportunities

Paid Internship Opportunities

To learn more about NYSERDA, please visit our social media channels.