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Just In! for November 18, 2023
The weekly newsletter of the New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO)
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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. | |
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NY-GEO 2024 CONFERENCES –
See details in the 2024 listings in the Events section below in green type.
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NY-GEO Member Energy Catalyst Wins DOE Grant to Expand Geo Heat Pump Manufacturing – Defense Production Act Heat Pump Program Selections – “Energy Catalyst plans to retrofit a facility that will allow their manufacturing capabilities to meet the current and expected future geothermal heat pump demand. Energy Catalyst (EC) will outlay $10M for a… facility that will contain automated manufacturing equipment, a high accuracy testing lab, (and) an expansive contractor training room. EC will construct an IGSHPA certified training program that will train disadvantaged youth and MBE/WBE/veteran contractors in a variety of geothermal topics. The training center will help fulfill the growing demand for clean energy experts in NYS. EC will hire up to 50 employees over 5 years.” Energy Catalyst’s award is in conjunction with Hydro-Temp, an Arkansas company that “currently manufactures the subassemblies used to build Energy Catalyst heat pumps”. Grant announcement here. | |
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Con Edison Lifts Westchester Gas Moratorium – Letter filed with the Public Service Commission from Enver Acevedo, Associate Counsel, Con Edison’s Law Department – “…as of December 1, 2023, Con Edison will end the temporary moratorium, which commenced on March 15, 2019 in most of our Westchester County service territory to address a supply-demand imbalance and support reliability of service to customers in the affected area. As of November 16, 2023, a combination of lower peak demand forecast and increased supply resulting from the Tennessee East 300 Project coming online resolves the Westchester supply-demand gap…We continue to adjust our offerings to accelerate adoption of clean heating solutions. Currently, homeowners are eligible for rebates of $10,000 for air-source heat pumps (a promotional increase from $8,000 through the end of 2023) and up to $35,000 for ground-source heat pumps. The Company will operate these programs through 2030.” Thanks to NY-GEO member Bob Wyman for this tip. Link to Con Edison’s letter (Item 283, filed 2023 11 17) here.
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FERC Report on 2022 Blizzard - Marie J. French and Cat Morehouse - POLITICO's Weekly NY and NJ Energy (2023 11 13) – “New York City narrowly avoided a potentially disastrous failure of its natural gas system in December 2022 — and new reliability standards are needed to ensure it doesn’t happen again, a federal report concludes… Con Edison and National Grid around Christmas in 2022 called for gas customers in New York City to reduce their usage amid bitter cold temperatures. It was an unprecedented request — and it's not clear how effective such a voluntary request was for the gas system compared to the electric system where it’s often used…’Had it lost the majority of its system, over a million customers in New York City and nearby areas would have been unable to heat their apartments and houses while the outside temperature was in the single digits, for months…’ the report notes. ” Link to 170-page report here. | |
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How Many Americans Want an Electric Home? – Yale Program on Climate Change Communication & RMI – “Taken together, a majority (60%) prefer a home in which all or most major appliances are powered by electricity.1 But preferences vary across political, racial/ethnic, and geographic groups. Political affiliation is associated with preferences for electric appliances, with Democrats preferring them more often than Republicans. For example, most liberal Democrats (75%) say they prefer an all or mostly electric home, while about half of conservative Republicans (50%) say so. Black respondents (69%) are more likely than Hispanic/Latino (59%) and White respondents (58%) to prefer all or mostly electric homes, whereas rural residents (54%) are somewhat less likely than suburban (61%) and urban (65%) residents to prefer them.” Article link here.
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Capitol Pressroom Features Critique of National Fuel’s Climate Plan – David Lombardo – “Ben Kuebrich, a public advocate for Alliance for a Green Economy, explains how major New York energy utilities are required to develop long-term plans for shrinking their carbon footprint and highlights how the first plan submitted to state regulators falls short of the Empire State’s ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals.” Link to 13 minute broadcast here.
Boston “Passive House” Office Building is “Already Something of an Anachronism” - David Abel – Boston Globe - “The $1.4 billion, 691-foot Winthrop Center on Federal Street is the world’s largest office building certified as ‘passive house,’ a designation that means it’s among the world’s most energy-efficient buildings... But the newly opened tower — the fourth tallest building in Boston — is already something of an anachronism. Even though its developers say it reduces by nearly two-thirds the emissions of a typical office building of its scale, Winthrop Center still runs on natural gas, a fossil fuel that emits greenhouse gases, for heating and cooling. As new city and state rules take effect in the coming years, similarly sized buildings will be required to operate on electricity, rather than gas or oil. By 2050, they’ll be prohibited from producing any carbon emissions.” Article link here.
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Fun 2-Minute Spoof Video on Utility Hydrogen Plans – Greater Boston Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility - “I mean, what makes more sense than using clean energy to make sure that dirty energy continues to flow?” Thanks to NY-GEO member Billii Roberti for this tip. Instagram Video link here.
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Heat Pump Sales Slowing – Santul Nerkar and Madeleine Ngo - NY Times – “More Americans are buying heat pumps, an environmentally friendly alternative to furnaces and air-conditioners that can significantly lower monthly energy bills. But the pace of installations has slowed in the past year, posing an obstacle to the Biden administration’s climate plans. Rising interest rates and inflation combined with a slow and confusing rollout of federal government incentives for the purchase of heat pumps are largely responsible for the recent drop in sales, energy analysts said.” Still “Total heat pump shipments this year have been higher than orders for warm-air furnaces fueled by gas or oil, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, an industry group.” Article link here.
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Source: Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) October 13, 2023 report, which also lists warm air gas furnace sales at 281,915 units for August 2023.
Massive Southern Tier Gas Drilling Spree Proposed in Plan to Extract Methane and Store CO2 – Peter Mantius – Water Front Environmental politics in New York's Finger Lakes – “A newly formed company with Texas roots wants to drill thousands of new natural gas wells across the Southern Tier in order to store carbon dioxide underground and to extract methane from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations.” Thanks to Anne Rabe from NYPIRG for this tip. Article link here.
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Bryce Phillips outlined Southern Tier CO2’s business plan to several landowner prospects at the Hilltop Inn in Elmira recently.
Maine: Time-Varying Electric Rates to Boost Electrification - Annie Ropeik – Canary Media - “ ‘Time-of-use’ rates that encourage customers to cut energy use at times of peak demand could help the state (of Maine) meet its electrification goals without straining the grid… ‘Study after study shows that the cost of our transition, very broadly — like the amount of generation, transmission, distribution that we need to fully electrify our economy — is dramatically lower the more load control you have associated with it,’ said Ian Burnes, (Efficiency Maine’s)…director of strategic initiatives.” Editor’s note: In addition to the tools mentioned in this article, Just In! continues to point to the thermal storage properties of geothermal ground loops as an excellent form of “load control” which will be key to successful electrification. Article link here.
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Electrification of Heating in the Midwest - Katherine Shok – Buildings Hub – “As the most gas- and propane-dependent region in the country, the Midwest is a national laggard when it comes to building electrification and heat pump adoption. However, new developments in both local and state building electrification policy as well as technology advances are giving way to positive change that could move the needle across the region.” Thanks to Zachary Strauss of Atlas Public Policy for this tip. Article link here.
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Electrification for Renters – Yessenia Funes - The Verge – “In the US, 36 percent of households rent, according to the Pew Research Center. That’s over 44 million households. Though one 2022 study found that renters are more likely to have electric appliances than homeowners, some 15 million renters… move into an apartment connected to gas. Those who want to electrify their appliances often encounter…roadblocks…: reluctant landlords; outdated infrastructure; high costs; and little government assistance to navigate those obstacles." Tip from Peter Jensen at the National Building Electrification Network and Sunstone Strategies. Article link here.
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Renter Leah Stokes is a featured subject in this article.
NYC Compost to Heating Fuel Project Goes Offline – Gothamist – “A highly anticipated project in Brooklyn to convert organic waste into natural gas for heating fuel has gone offline only months after being activated, city officials acknowledged — and there’s no clear timeline for its return.” Article link here.
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Gas Stoves and Benzene Concentrations - Taylor O’Bier – News 5 Cleveland – “Benzene is a known cancer-causing chemical that is widely used across the U.S. to make things like plastic, resin and synthetic fibers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Stanford-led study published in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science & Technology journal earlier this year looked at how much benzene is emitted indoors from gas combustion by stoves – something they believe was not studied prior. A single gas or propane burner used on high or an oven set to 350 °F for 45 minutes raised benzene concentrations in the air above the baseline in every kitchen that was tested and, in some cases, it raised the level higher than the level that would be attributed to something like secondhand tobacco smoke, the study said… The high levels of benzene also migrated through the air to other rooms, with some of the bedrooms in the homes tested having between five and 70 times the baseline level when a burner or oven was being used.” Article link here.
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Gradient Air Source Heat Pump Boasts 30-Minute Installation Time – Adele Peters – Fast Company 2-Minute read – “Later this month, the company will begin installing the units in public housing complexes in New York. Over the next seven years, it will deliver 10,000 of the units to the New York City Housing Authority… The company plans to launch the product to consumers more widely next year at a retail price of $3,800. For a small home or condo, incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act could cover some or all of the cost.” Tip from Peter Jensen at the National Building Electrification Network and Sunstone Strategies. Article link here.
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BP Buys $100M of Tesla Chargers – Gabriela Aoun Angueira – Canary Media – However, given the length of charging times, will drivers want to plug in at the convenience stores and gas stations in the BP system? Tesla chargers get favorable ratings from customers for reliability and close proximity to amenities. In the long term, some experts predict that more public charging will take place at bigger sites. BP is planning so-called Gigahubs, which could charge more than 100 cars at a time, in city metros and near airports. The other oil majors are likely preparing as well. The analytics firm S&P Global Mobility estimates that there will be nearly 41 million EVs in the U.S. by 2030. Article link here.
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Setback For Next-Gen Small Nuclear Reactors – Eric Wesoff – Canary Media – The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems' (UAMPS) project using NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) design has been terminated because it couldn’t secure enough subscriptions from utilities in the Western U.S.. NuScale developed the first and only SMR to receive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification. The deployment was predicted to be not only the first of its kind to be completed, but the next nuclear reactor to be built in the U.S.. Article link here. |  | IRA Impact: First Wind Turbine Produced at GE’s NY Facility – Sean Wolfe - Renewable Energy World – “GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind business announced that it has completed the first onshore wind turbine produced on its new wind manufacturing assembly line in Schenectady, NY… The turbine is designed for low-to-medium wind speeds and is equipped with a carbon two-piece blade design, which the company said offers ‘improved logistics and increased output from hard-to-reach sites.’ The expansion of the GE facility, which was first announced in May 2023, was enabled by the increase in market demand for renewable energy created by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), GE Vernova said.” Article link here. | |
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Why Michigan’s Clean Electricity Bill Is a Really Big Deal – Dan Gearino – Inside Climate News – “Michigan is set to become the third state in the Midwest and twelfth in the country to require a shift to clean electricity. Of all those states, Michigan is one of the most ambitious because of the extent of the change it is making. Michigan’s target year for reaching 100 percent clean electricity is 2040, which is as soon or sooner than every state except for Rhode Island… And, Michigan is starting from a place of having unusually dirty electricity, with nearly two-thirds of its current supply coming from fossil fuels.” Article link here.
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EV Sales are Setting Records - Eric Wesoff, Dan McCarthy – Canary Media – “Despite recent headlines declaring the industry stagnant or moribund, the U.S. electric-vehicle market is actually well past the tipping point for mass adoption — and its healthy sales growth underscores that. Through the first nine months of the year, EV sales are up nearly 50 percent, already surpassing the full-year total for 2022. And if buyers continue to snap up EVs at the current clip, they’ll easily surpass 1 million annual sales for the first time ever.” Article link here.
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RG&E Seeks Non-Pipe Alternative Proposals – “Rochester Gas and Electric (“RG&E”),…is issuing this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) to qualified parties (“Bidders”) with the capability to develop and deliver innovative solutions to address gas reliability concerns within the MF60 Southeast System in RG&E’s Rochester natural gas service territory… this RFP (is) in search of Non-Pipe Alternative (“NPA”) solutions to avoid planned natural gas pipeline construction in this area…To indicate your desire to participate in this RFP, please respond via e-mail to NPA@avangrid.com at your earliest convenience. Upon RG&E’s receipt of a Bidder’s interest, RG&E will provide the Bidder with details regarding the RFP pre-bid teleconference, which is scheduled for December 8, 2023. RFP responses are due on February 23, 2024, by 5:00PM EST.” RG&E mentions gas solutions as well as heat pump solutions in its material. | |
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Approximate location of the MF60 area based on RG&E’s NPA materials
ASHRAE: Building Decarbonization and Grid Interactivity - ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) - “Decarbonizing the electric grid necessitates a fundamental shift towards a dynamic, two-way relationship between buildings and the grid. This approach enables buildings to respond flexibly to grid conditions, including time-varying carbon emissions rates. In recent years, the significance of this two-way communication has grown, driven by the integration of renewable energy sources, grid reliability concerns and the impact of extreme weather conditions... The guide offers best practices, design considerations and operational guidelines to target the three primary value streams of grid integration: Reduced Carbon Emissions…Cost Savings…and Resiliency.” Press release on the $72 report here.
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DOE Offers Tribes $225 Million In Rebates for Home Electrification and Appliances – “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released application guidelines for Tribal governments to apply for $225 million in funding under the Inflation Reduction Act's Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) program. HEAR funds will provide rebates to low- and moderate-income households installing efficient electric technologies. Rebates for home electrification upgrades range from $840 to $14,000 per household. Rebate amounts vary depending on a household's income, the total project cost, and the technologies installed.” Thanks to Sage Briscoe, Director of Federal Policy at Rewiring America, for this tip. Web link here.
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5th National Climate Assessment - US Global Change Research Program – “The Global Change Research Act of 19901 mandates that the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) deliver…(periodic reports) to Congress and the President.”…The recently released 5th Assessment notes “As extreme events and other climate hazards intensify, harmful impacts on people across the United States are increasing. Climate impacts—combined with other stressors—are leading to ripple effects across sectors and regions that multiply harms, with disproportionate effects on underserved and overburdened communities.” The report includes multitude of illustrative graphics and charts, 3 of which we reproduce below. Web page here. | |
The x axis in this chart refers to the number of actions taken.
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Municipal Spending on Climate Responses Across New York State – Comptroller Tom DiNapoli – “A sample of local governments across New York reported $1.34 billion in actual and anticipated spending on capital projects over a 10-year period, with about 55% of the total in response to climate-related hazards such as increased flooding and storm damage, according to a report released (in April) by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. DiNapoli said. ‘Local governments are shouldering much of the financial burden of climate change as they maintain important infrastructure such as roadways, drinking water systems and sewers.’” Thanks to Anne Rabe of NYPIRG for this tip which was offered in support of the Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129A/A.3351A). Contact Anne at arabe@nypirg.org for more information. Press release on the report here.
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A Surprising Climate Knowledge Deficit – The Climate Beat – “Most people don’t know as much about climate change as they think they do. That’s according to a landmark survey published this week by the Yale Program on Climate Communications, the gold standard in international polling about climate change… far less than half of respondents said, correctly, that climate change is caused ‘mostly by human activities’… ‘Meanwhile, roughly four in every 10 people, mostly in developing countries, do not even know the term ‘climate change.’ Once it’s explained, however, they say in overwhelming proportions that climate change is happening all around them. Yale’s findings are a wake-up call that journalism has to redouble its efforts to tell this story…” Article link here.
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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
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*2023 11 30 - Labor Requirements For Building Projects Under the IRA – 2:00-3:00 pm ET - “Many incentives and programs under the Inflation Reduction Act require or offer significantly improved incentives for projects that meet certain wage and apprenticeship standards. Join us for a timely webinar exploring the various labor provisions and how to ensure that your project meets them to receive maximum benefit.” Register here.
2023 11 29&30 - Certified Residential Geothermal Designer Course Online with HRAI - Learn how to properly design a residential system, starting with the benefits and types of ground source heat pumps. Attendees will also learn about the design process, energy loads and requirements, and how to calculate loads; how to select mechanical systems; site, geology and soil conditions; ground heat exchanger design; pumping, interior piping and header design; economics of the design; and calculate a sample problem. Upon successful completion of the corresponding exam, an IGSHPA Certified Residential Geothermal Designer (CRD) certification will be issued. Register here.
*2023 12 05 – NY TRM Stakeholder Forum – 10:00am-12:00 pm ET – The New York Technical Resource Manual (TRM) Management Committee will discuss the NY TRM processes and all updates for 2023. The TRM is a key document used to set and calculate data such as projected energy savings or equipment effective useful life that are used to determine incentives. 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 01 24 to 26 – IGSHPA Accredited Installer Workshop - Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center at Farmingdale State College – “The three-day comprehensive Installation Workshops are designed for GSHP installers, contractors, dealers, home builders, manufacturers, distributors, architects, heating and cooling mechanical engineers, trench/water well drilling contractors, and anyone who desires a working knowledge of this innovative technology. Representatives from public utilities, and rural electric cooperatives can also benefit from training. Information gathered from the workshops can help utility representatives serve as a source of information regarding money-saving concepts.” Register here.
2024 01 26 – 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.
2024 – NY-GEO 2024 Conferences
Yes That’s Plural
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. The programs will include dynamic keynote speakers and panels, educational tracks that are relevant and applicable, and an opportunity to network with exhibitors showcasing products and services that will support and advance your knowledge. For information on the NY City Conference see 2024 10 21 to 23 listing below.
2024 04 8&9 - Albany - Once again hosted at the Albany Marriott, we bring together the best of the best in the Geothermal Heat Pump Industry. We will open with an exhibitor mixer on April 8 followed by a full day of programming on the 9th with focused attention on Upstate. NY-GEO 2023 maxed out with attendees and exhibitors, so register today if you don’t want to miss out.
· To register and learn more about becoming a sponsor and or exhibitor - Click Here
· Book your stay at the Albany Marriott by Clicking Here
Not a Member? CLICK HERE to Join!
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 – New York City - The New York Brooklyn Bridge Marriott will host a two-day conference with sessions and tracks, the NY-GEO Annual Dinner, and a day of local project site tours. This is NY-GEO's first conference Downstate and will emphasize content on how to address densely populated areas and large commercial buildings.
· To register and learn more about becoming a sponsor and or exhibitor - Click Here
· Book your stay at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott by Clicking Here
NY-GEO Members can attend the conferences at a discounted rate, so now is a good time to renew your membership through 2024.
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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:
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.
The Building Performance Contractors Association (BPCA) Career Center is here.
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