Just In! for December 09, 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.

DOE Report: Geothermal Cuts Grid Costs and Costs to Ratepayers, as Well as GHG Emissions – Xiaobing Liu, et. al. - Oak Ridge National laboratory – The report was unveiled at the annual conference of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) by Alejandro Moreno, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, who announced, “This report confirms that geothermal heat pumps are a ready-made strategy for decarbonizing our buildings while reducing the need for new electricity generation and transmission, and bringing energy savings to Americans nationwide—all while creating U.S. jobs.”  

The Executive Summary to the report notes: “GHPs (Geothermal Heat Pumps) have traditionally been viewed as a building energy technology. The most notable result of this study, however, is the demonstration that GHPs coupled with weatherization in SFHs (Single Family Homes) are primarily a grid cost reduction tool (emphasis ours) and technology that, when deployed at a national scale, also substantially reduces CO2 emissions, even in the absence of any other decarbonization policy.” 

Among the key findings listed in the Executive Summary:

“Because GHPs reduce the cost of power on the grid, as well as the marginal system cost of electricity, which, combined with reduced fuel consumption, reduces consumer energy payments, GHPs are valuable for potentially achieving economic and environmental justice in underserved communities. Because less grid infrastructure investment is required with the large-scale deployment of GHPs, they could reduce the cost of power for all grid consumers—even those who do not have the technology installed.”

Link to DOE release on the 50-page report here.

Massachusetts “Beyond Gas” Order Rejects Funding for Hybrid (Heat Pump +Backup Gas) Heating – “In the long term, however, it will be impractical to maintain the gas distribution system solely for backup furnaces in cold weather. The Department will therefore not approve the use of additional ratepayer dollars for hybrid heating system pilots and, as stated below, we expect LDCs (Local Distribution Companies) to focus on targeted electrification and—pending the outcome of current pilots—networked geothermal projects to meet the long-term climate targets of the Commonwealth.” Click here for MA DPU Order

RMI Report on Stacking Federal, State, and Local Incentives – Lauren Reeg, David Smedick – RMI - “Our report, Gaps and Barriers to Stacking Federal, State, and Local Incentives provides a summary of existing federal incentive stacking guidance and outlines the gaps in incentives for whole-home retrofits. The report also outlines the barriers that make stacking difficult for households, and solutions program administrators can consider while developing and integrating federal incentive programs- like the IRA Home Energy Rebates- with state, utility, and local programs.” Article link here.

NY-GEO Signs On to Cap & Invest Letter – Rita Yelda – NRDC - “We encourage the Governor to release the outline of a strong proposal before the end of the calendar year. A bold cap-and-invest program has the potential to elevate New York’s role as a climate leader – serving as a critical tool in cutting pollution in line with New York’s climate targets and driving significant investments in an equitable clean energy transition in communities across the state." Press release link here.

Graphic from Governor Hochul’s 2023 State of the State Book

Green Builder Annual State of the Industry Report – Sara Gutterman - "The State of the Industry report... found that younger the generation is, the more climate change is influencing their perspective about their homes:

• 61% of Gen Zs and 58% of Millennials report that they have considered moving due to climate change (compared to 46% of Xers and 34% of Boomers.)
• 62% of Gen Zs and 61% of Millennials indicate that they are concerned about the climate change impacting the value of their homes (compared to 53% of Xers and 42% of Boomers.)
• 77% of Gen Zs and 66% of Millennials report that climate events have impacted their ability to get insurance for their homes—a dramatic difference from Gen Xers and Boomers, who were at 22% and 16% respectively."

Article link here.

Slides on NY’s Proposed IRA Programs – John Ciovacco - NY-GEO Board – Here “…is a good treatment of the existing income eligible programs and some of the guidelines for the new IRA HER and HEAR programs – which are looking to be implemented by a new NYSERDA program by the end of next year.” Link to download slides here.

LNG Exports and Higher Gas Prices – Clarke Williams-Derry – Institute for Energy economics and Financial Analysis – “Although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused U.S. natural gas prices to spike in 2021 and 2022, wholesale gas prices fell back to earth in early 2023. Despite the drop in wholesale gas costs, many families are still paying high prices for gas that their utilities bought during the price spikes. With U.S. LNG exports slated to almost double over the next five years, U.S. households should brace for more volatility in natural gas costs. There is one easy way to keep this problem from getting worse: Curtail new gas export projects. We’ve already dug ourselves into a hole. The smartest thing to do now is to stop digging.” Article link here.

Ontario Report Supports Geothermal and Thermal Storage to Offset Grid Loads – HPAC (Heating Plumbing and Air Conditioning Magazine – “A new (24 page) report commissioned by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance recommends incentives to boost the installation of more ground source heat pumps, thermal storage solutions, electric batteries and two-way electric vehicle chargers to help offset the demand on the province’s power grid…solutions such as thermal storage, batteries and pairing with electric vehicles can reduce demand more cost effectively than building additional electricity generation. It shows how installation of ground source heat pumps (GSHP) instead of air source heat pumps (ASHP) can reduce the power demand from all-electric heat pumps on winter peak hours.” Thanks to Heather Deese of Dandelion Energy for this tip. Article link here.

Heat Pump Demand Hums Along in Maine – Annie Ropeik – Energy News Network – “A year after the war in Ukraine drove record-high fossil fuel prices for winter heating in oil-dependent Maine, demand for efficient electric heat pumps remains steady despite new challenges... Maine relies more on oil for home heat than any other state, but this is slowly changing. The state said in its press release that about 56% of Mainers used heating oil in 2022, down from more than 60% in much of the past decade, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electric heat users increased from about 6% of the state’s population to nearly 11% in the same period."  Article link here.

CA Draft: AC Replacement Must Be a Heat Pump – Alex Nieves, Bianca Begert – POLITICO - “Regulators quietly came out with draft language last month that would require existing homes to replace their air conditioners with heat pumps or more-efficient HVAC systems when they burn out. Heat pumps are a big part of the state’s plan to get to carbon neutrality by mid-century. The California Energy Commission last year set a goal of quadrupling the number of homes with heat pumps to 6 million by 2030.” Tip from Peter Jensen at the National Building Electrification Network and Sunstone Strategies. Article link here.

DOE: Thermal Conversion and Carbon Capture Still Too Costly to Reach Clean Hydrogen Goals – Sean Wolfe - Renewable Energy World – “Thermal conversion of fossil fuels is the most widespread and lowest-cost method of hydrogen (H2) production today. A combination of thermal conversion and carbon capture is commercially ready and can offset some of the emissions from the process, but a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says it still isn’t cheap enough to reach its goal of clean hydrogen costs of $1 per kilogram by 2031.” The DOE is looking to use hydrogen for “high impact end uses” such as “steel manufacturing, clean ammonia, energy storage, and heavy-duty trucks”. Note: the focus is not on home heating. Article link here.

Forthcoming Hydrogen Rules – Jesse D.Jenkins - Canary Media – “It’s not often you get to write the rules to govern an entirely new industry. But that’s exactly what the Biden administration is set to do next week with proposed rules that will define what kinds of hydrogen production methods count as clean. If recent reports on the leaked rules are correct, the Treasury Department is about to propose a framework that aligns with the best available evidence, protects consumers and the climate, and sets the right foundation for robust and durable growth of the U.S. clean hydrogen sector.” Done wrong the regulations can be “an exercise in greenwashing that could cost the American taxpayer hundreds of billions of dollars while increasing CO₂ emissions by hundreds of millions of tons.” Article link here. 

U.S. Solar Capacity Could Soon Overtake Wind – Kelsey Misbrener – Solar Power World – According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), for the first three quarters of 2023, solar power has grown faster than all other energy sources. FERC also forecasts that by late summer 2026, solar will account for more than one-eighth (13.1%) of the nation’s installed generating capacity, more than either wind (12.3%) or hydropower (7.5%). Solar’s installed generating capacity by September 2026 would also surpass oil (2.6%) and nuclear power (7.5%) combined as well as approach that of coal (13.9%). Article link here.

EV Industry Choice: Chinese Batteries or Tax Credit? – Jeff St. John – Canary Media – “Long-awaited rules from the Biden admin could make all EVs ineligible for the $7,500 customer tax credit — unless the industry can source key supplies beyond China… Now, the companies that have spent more than $100 billion establishing U.S.-based EV and battery factories since the law was passed last year are striving to adapt to the coming restrictions — and confronting the reality that, under the proposed rules, virtually none of the EVs they are currently manufacturing will still be eligible for the law’s $7,500 federal tax credit as of 2025.” Article link here.

Lithium-ion Battey Prices Dropping Again – Julian Spector and Dan McCarthy – Canary Media – Covid interrupted the steady decline in lithium-ion battery prices. However, after a price rise in 2022, prices fell 14% to a new record low of $139 per KWh. Industry watchers have cited $100 per KWh as a price past which cost-competitiveness would be assured. The U.S. DOE target price of $80 per KWh by 2030 for a 300-mile range electric vehicle appears achievable. Article link here.

Tata Motors Subsidiary, Bharat Petroleum Tie Up For 7,000 Charging Stations – Business Standard - “Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd on Friday said it has entered into a collaboration with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd to set up 7,000 charging stations. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in establishing public charging stations across India.”  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 12 14 in the Events section (green typeface) below.

Climate Updates:

New Al Gore TED Talk – Curious about COP 28? This 25-minute TED talk might be the best introduction. In a blistering talk, Nobel Laureate Al Gore looks at the two main obstacles to climate solutions and gives his view of how we might actually solve the environmental crisis in time. You won't want to miss his searing indictment of fossil fuel companies for walking back their climate commitments -- and his call for a global rethink of the roles of polluting industries in politics and finance.  Gore notes: “I've often said, every night on the TV news is like a nature hike through the Book of Revelation.”  Link to video here.

Treasury Report: The Impact of Climate Change on American Household Finances – The “...report evaluates the various impacts of climate change on American household finances, with particular attention to those households and individuals that may be most adversely affected.” Blogger Dan Delurey notes: Here are the things they see coming:

-       Reduced earnings and access to employee benefits

-       Damage and destruction to property

-       Increased spending on transportation

-       Higher healthcare costs

-       Higher utility expenditures

-       Difficulty accessing cash

-       Insurance gaps

-       Reduced availability of and access to credit

That may or may not sound like a list of the obvious, but there is specificity in the Report on each of those topics, as well as predictions as to which parts of the country they will be prevalent in.” Report link here.

The Rise and Rollout of AOC’s Green New Deal – Ryan Grim – The Intercept – “The Green New Deal rollout bundled together all the contradictions at the heart of Ocasio-Cortez’s politics and personality, tying her up in knots. In a profound way, she had found herself in a tortured position: a consensus builder and a people pleaser thrust into the role of rebel; a science fair champion, a congressional intern, and a loyal progressive Democrat cast as a burn-it-down radical because she had come from outside the system — had been forced to come from outside, because there was no other way in. And she was cast as unrealistic— a green dreamer — because she grasped the reality of the crisis.” Link to excerpt from Grim’s book on “the Squad” 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 for his work on the briefs.

EVENTS:

*Indicates a New Listing or Updated Information

*2023 12 12 – Mapping Our Path to Clean Energy – 2:30 pm ET – RMI - “Our fall webinar with Jigar Shah, director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy, Lena Hansen, RMI’s chief strategy officer, and Jon Creyts, RMI’s chief executive, is a great way to learn more. Their big-picture discussion will explore how policy and market dynamics are converging to accelerate the world’s shift to cleaner, safer, more affordable energy”. Register here.

*2023 12 13 – The Beneficial Electrification League’s (BEL) Weatherization/Electrification (W/E) Together Program – 1:00 - 2:30 pm ET – “Join us for a webinar as we discuss BEL’s Weatherization and Electrification Together (W/E Together) program. We will invite some of our project partners and participants to share case studies of their success and provide updates, as well as discuss our plans for Weatherization and Electrification going forward. The program is now expanding across the country and will focus on cost-effective improvements for low- and moderate-income rural households in disadvantaged rural communities."  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. Changes in the Clean Heat Program scheduled for March 1, 2024 should be on the agenda. Register here.

*2023 12 14 – Trends and Changes: Building Decarb in 2023 – 2:30-3:00 pm ET – “Join Atlas Public Policy as we host the twelfth episode of ‘Buildings Hub Live,’… for a discussion with Jenna Tatum from the Building Electrification Institute and Panama Bartholomy from the Building Decarbonization Coalition about the top building policy moments and market trends in 2023. This conversation will highlight the biggest developments in the buildings space from 2023. Learn about the Berkeley ruling and its aftermath, state and local electrification wins, federal regulatory actions, IRA and IIJA funding news, building code challenges, and stove-related bills, among other items." 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. “At this meeting, we'll roll out our strategy and tactics for the legislative session that starts in January. 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 ET – 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 – 11 am to 4pm – “Join Renewable Heat Now and multiple allied groups in calling on Governor Hochul and the legislature to put the NY HEAT Act in the budget!

·      11:00 We will gather in an area of the Legislative Office Building (LOB) known as the 3rd Floor Terrace. There you'll sign in and meet up with your lobby team leader. Coffee and bagels will be provided. You can leave your coat etc. in this area during the day.

·      12:00-12:30 Rally on the Million Dollar Staircase in the Capitol Building.

·      12:30-1:30 Lunch on the 3rd Floor Terrace of the LOB

·      1:30-4:00 Lobby visits with your team Click here for more.

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

NY-GEO Job Postings - Include NY-GEO in your posting for job openings - gain visibility and help recruit new employees to your organization. This feature is available to all NY-GEO members, simply log into your account, select the NY-GEO Job Listings in the left toolbar, select Add in the upper right, and complete the form. If you need assistance, let us know at christine@ny-geo.org.

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:

Become an NY-GEO Member

NY GEO is the driving force in the mass adoption of Ground Source (Geothermal) Heat Pumps for residential, commercial, and utility-scale heating and cooling in New York State. NY-GEO's mission is to grow the geothermal heat pump industry and develop its workforce while educating policymakers building/property developers and residents about the benefits of geothermal heat pumps.

We are a member-funded, non-profit trade organization and we depend on YOUR SUPPORT to expand the use of clean, renewable, geothermal heating and cooling systems for the benefit

of all.

Learn more about the benefits of becoming an NY-GEO member and why your membership is important to advancing GHP, Click here.