Just In! for December 02, 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.

Social Cost of Carbon Rises to $190 per Ton – NY Times – “During the Obama administration, White House economists calculated the social cost of carbon at $42 a ton. The Trump administration lowered it to less than $5 a ton. Under President Biden, the cost was returned to Obama levels, adjusted for inflation and set at $51. The new estimate of the social cost of carbon, making its debut in a legally binding federal regulation, is almost four times that amount: $190 a ton.” For comparison, NY’s DEC has been using $125 in its calculations related to NY’s Climate Action Scoping Plan. “ ‘With such a high number, many more actions to fight climate change will pass the cost-benefit test,’ said Michael B. Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. That’s a crucial point in the legal fight over the regulations: historically, when the government can show that the economic benefit of a regulation is greater than its cost, the courts are likely to uphold those rules against legal challenges.” Thanks to Jens Ponikau of Buffalo Geothermal for this tip. Article link here.

Climate Advocates Rally for NY HEAT Act – Rebecca C. Lewis City & State – “Climate and environmental advocates in New York City and Albany (rallied) Thursday in favor of the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition – or HEAT – Act. They’re calling on the governor to include the legislation that would remove a subsidy for new gas…hookups in her executive budget proposal. The law would limit what low-income residents pay for utilities… Heading into 2024, the New York HEAT Act remains one of the top priorities for climate activists in the state… Although it passed in the state Senate (last year), it stalled in the Assembly… The New York HEAT Act is one of two major environmental priorities for state Sen. Liz Krueger, who sponsors the bill, and she expressed confidence that it will get approved either in the Legislature or as part of the state budget this year.” (From 2023 12 01 – City & State First Read)  Article Link Here.

Fossil Fueled Political Donations - Little Sis – The grass roots citizen research organization Little Sis (the name was chosen as an opposite of Big Brother, the oppressive monolith in George Orwell’s novel 1984) has produced an extensive run down on fossil fueled corporate donations to New York’s elected officials. Titled The Anti-Electrification Force the 23-page report details how “Fossil fuel interests opposed to building electrification spent more than $2.5 million on lobbying in 2022.” Report link here.

NYPIRG Report:  NYC Current Annual Climate Cost Estimate is $1.8 Billion or $562 per Household – “NYPIRG released an analysis showing that city taxpayers are heavily burdened by climate costs when a recent study shows 50% of city working-age households do not earn enough to meet their basic needs.  The NYC future climate cost estimate is $162.9 billion, or $50,906 per household, and the current NYC annual climate cost estimate is $1.8 billion or $562 per household.  The analysis shows that without a revenue source for climate programs, by default the costs have been placed on the backs of city, state, and federal taxpayers while Big Oil companies have made a whopping $750 billion in profits since 2021.  The groups called on Governor Hochul to put fiscal fairness and environmental justice front and center by including the Climate Change Superfund Act in her FY 2024/25 Executive Budget...  The bill (S.2129A/A.3351A) would require Big Oil companies releasing large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to pay apportioned fees totaling $3 billion a year.” Press release link here.

NYSERDA November Energy, Equity and Climate Justice Digest – The Digest includes 5 briefs, including one on IRA rebates and another on NYSERDA’s Building Electrification/Energy Efficiency (BE/EE) plan for 2026-2030, which was filed November 1^st with the Public Service Commission.  Digest link here.

There’s a Battery Beneath Your Feet, and Utilities Want to Use It - Sabri Ben-Achour – Marketplace – “Construction is almost finished at the geothermal pilot project in Framingham at a cost of $14 million, paid by the utility. Participants don’t pay for the installation, and their heating and cooling bills are expected to fall. What makes the two-year project the first of its kind run by a utility is that this system will span a whole neighborhood — a low-income housing project, a gas station, a cabinet store, a fire station, all connected in a network.”  This nationally produced radio news story includes interviews with Nikki Bruno of Eversource, Ryan Dougherty of the GeoExchange Organization, Audrey Schulman of HEET and Alexander Buell from ConEdison. Tip from Annette McDermott at the National Building Electrification Network and Sunstone Strategies. Link to audio stream of the Marketplace recording plus a transcript of the story. It’s worth a listen! 

NY Renews Climate Law 101 Video – “Our new video breaks down NY’s landmark climate law, and the legislation we're working hard to pass.” Video Facebook link here.

Visualizing NYSERDA’s Energy Data – Open NY - "Ten years ago New York State agencies and authorities were directed to identify, catalog, and publish their data on Open NY, the State’s open data website administered by the Office of Information Technology. NYSERDA publishes raw, underlying data for people who want to do their own analysis. Additionally, NYSERDA publishes interactive dashboards and maps on its websites to tell the data story. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Visit data.ny.gov and click the “Energy and Environment” tile.
2. To filter for NYSERDA’s catalog items, scroll down to the “Agencies & Authorities” section in the left panel, select “Show All…”, and choose “Energy Research and Development Authority” to see the projects and data NYSERDA gathers and reports on.
3. Select one and take a look."

MAP of Gas Utility Service Territories from Open NY

Whitmer Signs Michigan Climate Bills – John King – Michigan Advance – “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a slate of bills Tuesday that take her proposals from the MI Healthy Climate Plan and make them into state law. Held at Detroit’s Eastern Market, the ceremony followed House passage earlier this month of a half-a-dozen pieces of climate change legislation from Democrats that address, among other issues, clean energy standards, energy waste and affordability, and providing state regulators authority over permitting clean energy projects.. Whitmer said the bills will lower household utility costs by an average of $145 a year, create 160,000 “good-paying” jobs, and bring nearly $8 billion of federal tax dollars home to Michigan for clean energy projects.” The bills include SB 273, which allows utilities to promote building electrification. Thanks to Martin Kusher of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for this tip. Article link here.

Prime Minister Trudeau on Free Heat Pumps for Low Income Canadians - Trudeau Facebook Page – “We’re working with provinces and territories to make sure people can switch from home heating oil to electric heat pumps. Minister Seamus O'Regan and I wanted to explain why that switch matters so much – and how we’re helping people through the process… People who switch from heating oil to heat pumps can save on average $2,500 a year.” Thanks to Bruce Niles from Climate Imperative.org for this tip.  Link to 2-minute bilingual Facebook video here

NYISO Will Keep Peaker Plants in Operation - Robert Walton - Utility Dive - “The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) will keep four peaker plants operating past their expected May 2025 retirement date in order to maintain an adequate electric reliability margin in the nation’s most populous city, grid officials said in a Short-Term Reliability Process Report published Monday (11/20).  In July, the ISO concluded New York City will face a 446 MW deficit in its reliability margin beginning in the summer of 2025 due to rising demand and new emission limits on peaker plants. Generators on the Gowanus 2 & 3 and Narrows 1 & 2 barges will act as a 'temporary solution' to the shortfall, and will run for an additional two years.” Article link here.

Mind the Gap Report Projects Need for Renewable Electricity – Strategen for Public Power NY (PPNY) – “This report compares the difference between the RE generation that can be expected under the current pace of deployment and the RE generation that will be necessary for New York to meet the 70% RE by 2030 goal… The results of the analysis suggest that New York will fall short of its 70% RE by 2030 goal under current approaches to RE deployment, with a 14,642 GWh gap (reaching 61% RE) in the most optimistic scenario and 41,441 GWh gap (reaching 45% RE) in the most pessimistic scenario:” PPNY advocates for a stronger role for publicly owned generation. Thanks to Anne Rabe form NYPIRG for this tip. Report link here.

Massive Fossil Fuel Expansion Planned - Bill McKibben – The Crucial Years - "America’s LNG buildout may be the biggest single example, but new data from the German group Urgewald shows that there are hundreds of other fossil fuel expansion plans in place around the world. The updated database shows that 1,023 are plotting expansions of fossil fuel infrastructure, threatening to lock in years of planet-warming emissions as extreme weather fueled by the climate crisis wreaks havoc worldwide…’The magnitude of the industry's expansion plans is truly frightening,’ said Nils Bartsch, Urgewald's head of oil and gas research. ‘To keep 1.5°C alive, a speedy, managed decline in both oil and gas production is vital. Instead, oil and gas companies are building a bridge to climate chaos.’ ” Urgewald link here.

First Flight Across Atlantic Without Use of Fossil Fuel – Katy Austin – BBC – In a first, Virgin Atlantic used 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on a 3,500 mile flight from London to New York on Tuesday, November 28^th. The flight used a combination of fuel derived from fat, tallow, and grease, and “synthetic kerosene” from plant-based sugars, which reportedly reduces CO² emissions by 70%. However, 2022 production of SAF was less than 0.1% of worldwide aviation fuel supply; and SAF is 3-5 times more expensive than conventional aviation fuel. The Federal government is in the process of creating subsidies to boost production and reduce cost. Article and Video of the takeoff here.

Heat Pump Cabin Heaters Help EV Range – Brandon August – Recurrent – “…in early 2022, a UK-based company performed real-world winter range testing of several popular EV models, revealing that “models equipped with a heat pump fell short by an average of 25.4% from their official figures, compared with the 33.6% deficit suffered by those that relied on a regular interior heater.” Vehicles with heat pumps equipped averaged 3.2 miles/kWh, while those with resistive… heaters averaged 2.9 miles/kWh.” Article link here.

Contractor's Corner:

March 1, 2024 NYS Clean Heat Program Changes – Clean Heat Program E-mail - "Under current practice, the Clean Heat Joint Management Committee (JMC) announces major program changes on June 1 and December 1 of each year, with these changes implemented on September 1 and March 1 of each year, respectively. The program changes listed below will be implemented on March 1, 2024.

• Definition of Full Load Heating System: The definition of a full load heating system is being updated to: "An installed system that satisfies at least 100% of total building heating load (BHL) at design conditions." Previously, projects were required to satisfy at least 90% of BHL to qualify as full load.
• Air-to-Water Heat Pumps for Residential Space Heating: The NYS Clean Heat Program will begin offering incentives for projects involving air-to-water heat pumps (AWHP) on March 1, 2024. Incentive levels and other details will be made available as soon as possible.
• Partial Load Incentives: As previously announced, National Grid will be discontinuing Category 1 partial load incentives as of January 1, 2024. Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2024. As of that date, no utilities will offer Category 1 incentives.
• Con Edison Limited-Time Offers: The previously-announced limited-time offers available for residential projects in Con Edison's service territory are set to expire on December 15. Con Edison will be making an announcement regarding 2024 incentive levels on December 5, 2023.
• Publication of Technical Documents: New and updated technical documents are now available on the program resources webpage:
• Design Temperature Lookup Tool
• Load Calculation Guidance December 2023
• Statewide Custom Calculator v2.2.6 and User Manual
• Statewide HRC Calculator v1.1 and User Manual
• Clean Heat Category 6 DHW Calculator (v112123)"

These changes will presumably be discussed at the December 14^th Clean Heat Stakeholder’s meeting – see 2023 122 14 in the Events section (green typeface) below.

Lead Pipe Initiative an Opportunity for Geo? – Coral Davenport – New York Times - The Biden Administration is planning “to require replacing of lead pipes within 10 years. The proposal to rip out nine million pipes across the country could cost as much as $30 billion but would nearly eliminate the neurotoxin from drinking water.” Access to the same rights-of-way that water lines run through will be key to installing geothermal in many dense urban areas. Large changes in the infrastructure under the streets could be coordinated with geothermal installations to avoid full duplication of costs related to site work, road re-surfacing and traffic disruptions. Does the broad replacement of lead water pipes present an opportunity for the installation of clean thermal energy networks ?  Thanks to John Ciovacco of Aztech Geothermal for this tip and gift link to the Times article. Link to article on the initiative here.

AI-Speeds up Solar Permits in California – Jeff St. John – Canary Media – “Symbium has signed up 22 California cities to try out its software, which uses automation techniques to slash the time it takes to process solar permits…California’s state law mandating instant permitting, passed last year, more or less forces its major cities to adopt this technology, which could eventually help officials around the country process clean-energy permits at a pace that’s more in line with the urgency of the climate crisis.” Article link here.

Climate Updates:

Oil & Gas = 1% of Climatetech Funding – Maria Virginia Olano – Canary Media – “Oil and gas companies, eager to distance themselves from the planet-warming reality of their core business, aren’t shy about touting their investments in clean energy and other low-carbon technologies.  But new data shows that their effort on this front remains meager… According to a new report by the International Energy Agency, last year oil and gas companies accounted for just 1.2 percent of the more than $1.6 trillion invested into low- and zero-carbon technologies worldwide.” 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 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 – Clean Heat Program Stakeholders Meeting – 9:00-10:00 am ET - The NYS Clean Heat Utility Joint Management Committee (JMC) will host the next quarterly meeting of the Working Group Series for Participating Contractors and Industry Partners. This series is billed as an ongoing platform for contractors and industry partners affiliated with NYS Clean Heat to discuss program improvements and address questions related to the program. 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..

*2023 12 15 – Teach-In on the NY Heat Act – Noon – 1:00 PM – New Yorkers for Clean Power - The NY Home Energy Affordable Transition (HEAT) Act is a transformative piece of climate and energy affordability legislation that will amend NY's Public Utility Law and establish badly-needed utility affordability protection for low- to moderate-income ratepayers. Join our next Teach-In to learn more about this legislation and what you can do to help get it passed in the upcoming legislative session. Our speakers include:

• Christopher Casey: Senior Attorney, Climate & Clean Energy Program for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

• Allison Considine: NY Senior Campaign & Communications Manager for the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC)

• Jessica Azulay: Executive Director of Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE) Register here!

*2024 01 23 - Renewable Heat Now’s Rally & Lobby Day for the NY HEAT Act in Albany – Save the date. Details coming soon.



 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: