Just In! for November 25, 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.

NY-GEO 2024 CONFERENCES –

See details in the 2024 listings in the Events section below in green type.

IRS Proposes Investment Tax Credit (ITC) Regulations – Review by Norton Rose Fulbright –The draft would essentially block third party ownership of geothermal loops. “The IRS said that if different taxpayers own different parts of a project that are functionally interdependent, no one can claim an ITC. An example is geothermal heat pumps.  A heat pump requires both underground equipment and pipes and ducts in a building above ground to heat the building during winter and withdraw heat to cool the building during summer. The IRS said that if different taxpayers own the different parts, no one can claim an ITC, unless the two taxpayers have more than 50% overlapping ownership.” 

The proposed regs do provide clarity on calculating the One Megawatt Exception from prevailing wage requirements under Section 48 for commercial geothermal projects.  “For property generating thermal energy, proposed §1.48-13(e)(3) would provide that the equivalents for 1 MW that should be used are 3.4 mmBtu/hour for heating and equivalently 284 tons for cooling should be used to determine whether the energy property satisfies the One-Megawatt Exception.” Projects under this threshold are exempted from prevailing wage requirements in taking the 30% commercial tax credit.  

The IRS will be taking comments until January 22, 2024 before the regulations take effect. Web page link here.

Plan to Make LIPA a Fully Public Utility Charges Forward – Kevin Vesey – News 12 Long Island – “There could be a change in who has power over Long Island's electric grid. A state commission voted Friday to accept a plan to make LIPA a fully public utility. If the plan is approved, it would do away with PSEG Long Island.” LIPA Legislative Commission press release here.

Albany, CA Looks to Decommission Gas Service to a City Block – Ysabelle Kempe – Smart Cities Dive – “Albany, in the San Francisco Bay Area, wants to electrify an entire city block so that it can shut down its gas line — for good. It has the blessing of the U.S. Department of Energy, which last month awarded the project a $200,000 grant from its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program... Gas system decommissioning can help utilities avoid spending money on repairs or replacements in parts of the system that few customers will use, (Clare) Halbrook (of Gridworks) said. ‘Don’t keep investing in a system that, every time you make a decision, has a 60-year life attached to it’ “. Thanks to Rick Steinberg of the Sierra Club Niagara Group for this tip. Article link here.

Carbon Monoxide: 95,000 Poisonings and 1,200 Deaths in U.S. Annually –– First Alert by Resideo - “Since the late 2000s, ‘Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month’ has been recognized in November by many, while others observe throughout the cold weather months. Why? Along with snow and ice, colder temperatures usher in an increased threat of carbon monoxide (CO), which kills more people in the winter months than any other time of year…During the winter months, many of us turn to alternative heating sources we might not use at other times of the year. While these devices may be effective at providing warmth, they also can pose great risks if not used properly." Tip from Allison McMunn at the National Building Electrification Network and Sunstone Strategies. Article link here.

This flier is available on the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association website here.

Building Decarbonization in Norway - Ajit Niranjan – The Guardian – “Two-thirds of households in this Nordic country of 5 million people have a heat pump, more than anywhere else in the world…’Norway ensured early on that fossil-fuel heating was the most expensive option, making heat pumps cost competitive,’ said Dr Jan Rosenow from the Regulatory Assistance Project, a thinktank that works to decarbonise buildings. ‘They did this by taxing carbon emissions from fossil heating fuels. That’s been the key to incentivise heat pump adoption.’ ” Thanks to NY-GEO member Joanne Coons for this tip.  Article link here.

Tromso, Norway, almost 140 miles North of the Arctic Circle

First NY Offshore Wind Turbine Installed at South Fork – Sean Wolfe – Renewable Energy World – “The first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind has been successfully installed, a milestone for New York’s offshore wind development and what will likely be the first completed utility-scale wind farm in U.S. federal waters. The 130-MW offshore wind farm – owned by Eversource and Ørsted – is meant to support the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to develop 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035.” Article link here. 

Voters Want Limit on “Natural” Gas Exports – Data for Progress – “The Biden administration is facing its ‘next big climate test’ over its decision whether or not to grant permits for nearly 20 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. If completed, these facilities would result in an extra 3.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, close to the entire annual emissions of the European Union...The current record amounts of natural gas exports are already increasing volatility and driving up prices for U.S. consumers… In light of this, new polling from Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media finds that voters support limits on natural gas exports by a 2-to-1 margin and want to see new export facilities paused until the proper reviews are completed.” Article link here.

Hochul Appoints Three to LIPA Board – Marie J. French – POLITICO Weekly NY & NJ Energy email - “Gov. Kathy Hochul has... (made three appointments to the nine member) Long Island Power Authority board, reshaping it at a pivotal moment as it mulls a more fully publicly operated system and plans for the energy transition. Hochul tapped former PSC Commissioner Tracey Edwards, who stepped down from the commission last month, to chair the LIPA board. Edwards is a senior vice president and New York Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which is seeking to build a casino. She’s also a consultant, (and) a regional director at the Long Island NAACP.” The Governor’s other appointees were David J. Manning of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Executive Director of the New York State Smart Grid Consortium from 2011 to 2023, and attorney Claudia P. Lovas. Governor’s press release here.

America’s First Commercial Direct Air Capture (DAC) Facility – Maria Galucchi – Canary Media – The startup Heirloom unveiled its “DAC” facility in Tracy, California, which uses limestone to absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere. Proponents say the current surge of Federal and private investments is necessary to further develop fledgling capture technologies. However, environmental groups and climate advocates argue that the money would be much better spent on building renewable energy projects, and that oil and gas companies are embracing carbon removal technologies as a way to justify the continued production of fossil fuels. Article link here.

Canary Media on Heat Pump Water Heaters – Alison F. Takemura – Canary Media – “The tech costs more than conventional options upfront, but federal tax credits, new 120V models and strong savings have made them more appealing than ever.” Article link here.

California Grid Buildout Law – Jeff St. John – Canary Media – “California may be one of the first states to face the risk of its power grid growing too slowly to support the surging adoption of electric vehicles, heat pumps and more — but it won’t be the last. That’s why Colleen Quinn, co-administrator of the National EV Charging Initiative, is excited about SB 410, a new California law aimed at speeding up the state’s grid buildout. In fact, she’d like to see it serve as a model for other states across the country.” Article link here.

Methane or “Natural” Gas and Big Tobacco’s Tactics – Rebecca John – Climate Investigations Center – “Since the early 1970s, the gas industry has successfully employed Big Tobacco’s tactics to manufacture and magnify controversy over links between gas stove emissions and respiratory illness, obscuring science and undermining public health. The gas industry funded its own studies in the 1970s and 1980s using the same laboratories, management consultants, and statisticians as its tobacco counterparts – and was advised by the same public relations company that masterminded the tobacco strategy, Hill & Knowlton. The gas industry’s tactics influenced regulatory decision-making at the Environmental Protection Agency and Consumer Product Safety Commission and have continued up to the present day." Thanks to Caleb Heeringa from Gas Leaks for this tip. Links to article and the 90-page report here.

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.

The Locations of U.S. Large Scale Solar Installations - Dan McCarthy, Maria Virginia Olano – Canary Media - “…where, exactly, are the country’s major solar installations located? The map below, created from the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database, shows the sites of ground-mounted solar installations in the country with a capacity of 1 megawatt or more. The most recent data available is current through the start of 2022, meaning even more solar is deployed across the country than is shown here.” Article link here.

Planned Fossil Fuel Production Vastly Exceeds Climate Change Goals – Nicholas Kusnetz – Inside Climate News –The vast majority of countries have adopted net-zero pledges to slash their climate emissions. However, their own plans and projections for fossil fuel extraction are in stark contrast. The U.S., Brazil and Saudi Arabia foresee significant increases in domestic oil production, while Russia, India and Indonesia all project substantial increases in coal. Article link here.

Vermont’s Largest Power Plant, Isn’t Exactly A Power Plant At All – Bill McKibben – The New Yorker – “It’s an online network, organized by the utility, of forty-five hundred electric storage batteries (currently, most of them are Tesla Powerwalls), spread out across more than three thousand Vermont homes. The network also includes a broad array of residential rooftop solar panels, which produce the energy stored in those batteries, and smart water heaters and E.V. chargers.” This article is both amazingly informative because of the way it ties together several interesting and newly developing phenomena, and frustrating, because it ignores geothermal's benefits relative to peak demand. Thanks to Rick Steinberg of the Sierra Club Niagara Group for this tip. Article link here.

3 Examples of Electric Vehicle Misinformation – Corpfunky – Daily Kos – “I’m so tired of reading hit pieces against EVs right now. If I believed what I’ve read, I would think that the only vehicles that still have accidents are Teslas, that electric charging stations are powered by diesel generators behind the fence, that the highways are littered with EVs that have run out of electricity, and more myths.” Article link here.

See the Power Mix of 60+ Countries – Nadja Popovich - NY Times – This article comes with a fascinating series of graphics showing the power mix of more than 60 countries while opining on major trends and how they will impact the climate. A sample of the graphics is below. Article link here.

Contractor's Corner:

‘Electrocaloric’ Heat Pump Eliminates Refrigerant Gases - Davide Castelvecchi – Nature – “Heat pumps are ubiquitous in the form of air conditioners (and refrigerators and heat pumps). Scientists just invented one that avoids harmful refrigerant gases…A prototype, described in a study published last week in Science, uses electric fields and a special ceramic instead of alternately vaporizing a refrigerant fluid and condensing it with a compressor to warm or cool air. The technology combines a number of existing techniques and has ‘superlative performance’, says Neil Mathur, a materials scientist at the University of Cambridge, UK.” Thanks to NY-GEO member Joanne Coons for this tip. Article link here.

Climate Updates:

A Bit of Inspiration for Thanksgiving Weekend – Ayana Elizabeth Johnson- TED Talk – Johnson’s talk is titled “How to Find Joy in Climate Action.”  In it, she encouraged people who are looking for a way to contribute to create a Venn diagram with three overlapping circles: “What are you good at?” “What work needs doing?” And “What brings you joy?” Where those three things overlap is the opportunity for action.  Link to 10-minute TED Talk here.

A Personalized Look at the Greenhouse Gas Buildup – Climate Blogger Dan Delurey recently correlated the buildup of greenhouses in the atmosphere with the chronology of his own life - a creative way to help us all see the climate crisis in a personal way. We ran his list in last week’s edition of Just In! but it was mistakenly below the text of a different brief. Apologies for the confusion. Join Dan’s email list here.

Panama Canal Drought Delays Energy Shipments, Increasing Costs – Energy Information Agency (EIA) – “A drought is limiting ship traffic through the Panama Canal. The resulting delays caused shipping rates through the Panama Canal for Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) to reach record highs, which increased the cost of shipping liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States.” Article link here.

Scorching Heat Highlights Brazil’s Glaring Inequality – The Guardian – “It felt like 58.5C (137.3 Fahrenheit) in Rio on Tuesday – and the soaring, indeed dangerous, temperatures are hitting the poorest hardest…The start of summer in the southern hemisphere is still a month away, but Brazil has already experienced its eighth heatwave of the year so far… Large swathes of the country were put under red alert this week by Inmet, the national meteorological institute, which warned of risks to health ‘and even life’…The dangers were brought into sharp relief by the death of a fan at a Taylor Swift concert on Friday night in Rio de Janeiro, at which thousands of other concertgoers reportedly had to be treated for dehydration.” Article link here.

U.S. Eventually Joins Global Consensus on Loss and Damage (L&D) Deal – Bob Berwyn – Inside Climate News – Last year, the 198 countries in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change agreed to launch an L&D fund and authorized a committee to draw up a detailed plan for the fund. After resisting language that would identify richer countries as the main source of funding, the U.S. agreed to the consensus at the 11^th hour. But Americas’ initial ambiguity once again raised fears that the country might continue its historic pattern of turning its back on international climate agreements. Article link here

NYC Council Seeks Improved Air Quality Alerts - Sahalie Donaldson – City & State - "The New York City Council is considering a trio of bills crafted to improve the city’s communication with New Yorkers during air quality-related emergencies. The package of legislation was born from the wildfire smoke that choked New York skies in early June, catching city officials off guard and garnering concerns about the city’s level of preparation for future air quality crises."  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 11 29 – Ready for IRA Rebates in 2024? – 5:00 pm ET - Energy Circle - Do you meet all of the criteria to be on your state’s Qualified Contractor Network for Inflation Reduction Act rebates? If your state decides to allow rebates to be calculated by modeled energy savings, do you have a plan for energy modeling? While we wait for IRA rebates to launch, a closer look at proposed program details suggests there are steps you can take now to be one of the first contractors out of the gate in your state. Register here.

*2023 11 30 – The Latest on Decarbonizing NY’s Power Sector - Noon – ET – New Yorkers for Clean Energy - “Find out what recent developments may mean for our state's goal of 70% renewable energy by 2030 and what you can do to make NY's climate plan real! “ Register here.

*2023 11 30 - Labor Requirements for Building Projects Under the IRA – 2:00-3:00 pm ET – US Department of Labor, US Green Building Council, BlueGreen Alliance - “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 06 - NYSERDA Seeks Input on IRA Rebate Programs – 9:00 to 11:00 am ET – “NYSERDA will hold a virtual public information session to gather input on the proposed programs for New York’s implementation of the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Home Energy Rebate programs: the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) Program and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Program. Public input (limited to 2 minutes per speaker) will be heard live during the webinar.” Register here.

*2023 12 06 – State of the Housing Industry – 2:00 pm ET - "Join Green Builder Media CEO Sara Gutterman for a webinar on what 2024 has in store for the housing industry. As demand for decarbonized, net-zero, all-electric, healthy, connected, resilient, solar + storage powered homes explodes, professionals in the building industry need to pay more attention than ever to sustainability trends to remain relevant in a rapidly changing market."  Register here.

 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). . Conference website here

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.

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: 

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. 

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: