Just In! for January 20, 2024

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.

Got 30 Seconds to Help Make Geo More Affordable in NY State ? – Last week we reported that Senator Kennedy and Assemblymember Rivera have introduced a bill (S8106/A8588) that will raise NY’s geothermal tax credit from $5,000 to $10,000 and make it refundable for lower income New Yorkers. NY-GEO has set up a platform that makes it very easy to send a note to Governor Hochul and your legislators asking them to include the bill in this year’s budget. Thanks for 123 letters that have been sent already! Why not take a moment NOW to send your message by clicking here.

Filed Amendments Strengthen NY HEAT Act - Bill sponsors Senator Krueger and Assemblymember Fahy have filed an amended version of the NY HEAT Act (S2016B/A4592B). The amendments include safeguards for those transitioning off fossil fuels, extends the goal of 6% energy burden affordability protections to all residential customers, rather than limiting it to low-to-moderate income customers, and allows the PSC to set limits so the 6% guarantee doesn’t encourage careless, excessive use of energy. Link to summary of amendments here.

Three Openings on NY Public Service Commission - Meagan Burton – Earth Justice – “The Commission is made up of five to seven members, each appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate for a term of six years…  Fortunately, Governor Kathy Hochul has the opportunity to appoint three new commissioners to the PSC by February 1st, 2024. By nominating climate champions to the Commission, she can ensure that New York maintains its position as a leader on climate and meets the emissions reductions mandates set out in the CLCPA.”  The appointments of Commissioners Burman and Howard are up and Commissioner Edwards has resigned. Article link here.

NYS Public Service Commission (L to R) John Howard, Tracey Edwards (Resigned October 2023 and is now Chair of the Long Island Power Authority) Commission Chair Rory Christian, Diane Burman, James Alesi, David Valesky John Maggiore

Energy Affordability Guarantee for LMI Customers Who Electrify Heating – In Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget Briefing Book, she proposes to provide certainty for those who move past fossil fuel heating through NYSERDA’s low and moderate income heat pump program. “$50 million to ensure that customers who fully electrify their homes through the NYSERDA EmPower+ Program do not spend more than six percent of their income on their electric bill.” Quote is from page 61 of the Briefing Book.



Regulators Halt Expensive Gas Pipe Programs – Caleb Heeringa – Gas Leaks – “The United States has more than 3 million miles of gas pipelines, and … expensive pipeline replacement programs have turned into financial boondoggles — costing billions of dollars but doing next to nothing to reduce the amount of methane leaking from the gas system… But recently there’s been promising signs that the gas industry may be forced to slow its spending spree. After years of rubberstamping pipeline replacement projects, regulators across the country have recently begun to put the brakes on these wasteful programs.” This article focuses on recent decisions in Illinois and Washington, DC. Article link here. 

Rally for NY HEAT – Renewable Heat Now (RHN) is organizing a Rally and Lobby Day on January 23^rd to urge Legislators to push for a full inclusion of the NYHEAT Act in this year's budget. Please consider joining on the 23^rd and click the image below to find out more.

Business and Organization Support Needed by Midnight Monday on Thermal Energy Networks and 3^rd Party Ownership – Ryan Dougherty – Geo-Exchange Organization (GEO) –GEO is encouraging letters to the Treasury Department urging them to revise proposed regulations in a way that will encourage thermal energy networks and 3rd party ownership of geothermal heating and cooling systems. The current proposed regs don’t allow incentives when the geo-exchange loop and the indoor heat pump equipment have different owners. This would make it very difficult for Thermal Energy Networks, and other forms of 3^rd party ownership, where in most cases the outdoor loopfield is owned by a utility or other party, and the indoor equipment is usually owned by the building owner. The proposed regs would cut off a key tool for reducing or eliminating the upfront cost of geothermal heating and cooling systems.  Details and easily signed sample letter here.

Canary Media on Utility Thermal Networks - Jeff St. John – Canary Media – “New York is an early leader on this front, but thermal energy networks are gaining ground across the country. Today, three other states — Colorado, Massachusetts and Minnesota — have passed laws that allow or mandate gas utilities to undertake thermal energy network pilot projects. In Massachusetts, the first utility-built network, covering 32 residential and five commercial buildings and 140 customers in the city of Framingham, is expected to be complete in the next few months. Other states including Illinois, Maine, Vermont and Washington are exploring similar laws. And 13 gas utilities have created a Utility Networked Geothermal Collaborative to explore options.”  Article link here.



NY Patterns & Trends -NYSERDA –“The Patterns & Trends: NYS Energy Profiles 2007 – 2021 report is now available. It provides comprehensive info on energy consumption, supply sources, economic indicators, & price/expenditure information for NYS.”  Report link here.

Gas Battle Begins – Mario French and Ry Rivard – POLITICO Weekly NY and NJ Energy – “New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, a pleasantly named industry and labor supported group, issued a statement in opposition to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to end the ‘obligation to serve’ requiring gas utilities to connect new customers and the ‘100 foot rule’ that subsidizes a portion of the costs of new hookups by charging other customers. Environmental advocates have pushed to address these policies for years, arguing the state’s utility law needs to be aligned with the climate law." Scroll down to Gas Battle Begins. Article link here.

2024 NY Joint Legislative Budget Hearing Schedule Released – Senator Liz Krueger – “These hearings, each of which focuses on a programmatic area of the Executive Budget Proposal, are intended to provide the appropriate legislative committees with public input. The hearings will be available for viewing on the Senate and Assembly websites. The Legislative Channel (on cable systems throughout the state) also will carry the proceedings.” The hearing process is tightly formatted and those wishing to participate are encouraged to scout the process at the hearing web page here.

NY is One of Four States to Be First Applicants for IRS Home Energy Rebates – DOE Bulletin – “Four states — California, Hawaii, New Mexico and New York — are the first to submit funding applications for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Home Energy Rebates program, a historic $8.8 billion investment to lower costs for American families through energy efficiency and electrification thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act…To benefit disadvantaged communities, states and territories are required to allocate at least half of the rebates to low-income households, defined as those earning 80 percent or less of their area median income.” Thanks to Sage Briscoe for this tip.  Article link here.

OpEd: NY HEAT Act Would Keep Our Dollars, and Future, from Going Down the Gas Pipe – Anshul Gupta – The New School for NY City Affairs - “Con Edison’s recent $14/month gas rate hike and National Grid’s proposal to raise gas bills by $30/month serve as stark reminders of the triple jeopardy New Yorkers face from our dependence on fossil gas: the intensifying climate crisis, deadly pollution, and energy cost inflation.  The good news is that there is an active bill in the State Legislature, called the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition (NY HEAT) Act. With Governor Kathy Hochul now backing key provisions of the bill, it is poised to enable significant progress on all three of those fronts.”  OpEd link here.

Storage Algorithm Shaves Power Peaks in All-Electric House – Alan Naditz- 7-minute read – Green Builder – In Arizona, “Mandalay Homes offers 10-kilowatt (kW) batteries on many of its homes. ‘We’re taking a different approach to managing the battery charge and discharge throughout the day to make use of cheaper grid power when needed to ensure sufficient energy to get through the evening,’ (Mandalay Homes’ president and founder Dave Everson says.) The new software is also designed to help prevent demand charges by mitigating electricity usage spikes during peak periods. ‘Our modeling has shown a 60 percent reduction in energy bills with the new algorithm, without excess photovoltaic energy sold back to the utility,’ says Everson.” Article link here.

Hopefully this company isn’t a subsidiary of George Costanza’s “Mandalay Industries”

The Number of Renewable Installations Is Surging – Maria Virginia Olano – Canary Media – Renewable energy installations jumped nearly 50% last year, the most rapid growth rate in two decades.  Solar is the leader in new generation, with China building as much new solar capacity last year as the entire world did in 2022.  The IEA projects that solar and wind together are set to overtake hydropower this year, and to surpass coal as the largest source of electricity globally by 2025.  By 2028, renewables are expected to account for over 40 percent of global electricity.  Article link here

Albertans Avoid Peak Outages by Reducing Demand – Jonny Wakefield – Alberta Sun -”Alberta Electric System Operator spokesperson Leif Sollid:…’we worked with the Alberta government to put out the emergency alert asking Albertans to conserve electricity, and that made a huge difference. We saw, within a matter of minutes, 200 megawatts of demand fall off the system. And that got us through that peak without having to resort to rotating outages. That was huge.’ ” Article link here.

Sun dog ???

Contractor's Corner:

Top 10 Common Mistakes in Ground Source Heat Pump Installs & How to Avoid Them - Michael Ridler, General Manager at Eden Energy Equipment – GEO Outlook – “Over the years, I've been involved in the successful installation of ground source heat pump systems by hundreds of contractors, encompassing thousands of systems. While these installations 99.99% of the time go off without a hitch, it's crucial to take a step back and reflect on the rare instances where things haven't gone as planned. This becomes especially pertinent as ground source heat pumps gain popularity, and the industry faces pressure to reduce costs, often the wrong way.” Article link here.



Climate Updates:

A23a: Spectacular Arches, Caves as Monster Iceberg Decays – Jonathan Amos – BBC – “Erosion is sculpting dramatic features in the world's biggest iceberg in what's likely to be the final months of its existence…The berg is being ground down by the warmer air and surface waters it's encountering as it drifts slowly away from the White Continent. Ultimately, it will melt and disappear." Thanks to Washington Post Climate Coach Michael J. Coren for this tip. Article link here.

5 Facts About Methane from Oil & Gas – Deboral Gordon, T J Conway – RMI – “For a generation, climate action has focused mainly on carbon dioxide. Yet recently, methane has emerged as an increasingly urgent priority to measure and reduce. To date, this invisible gas is responsible for 30 percent of the earth’s temperature rise since the Industrial era began, heating that is currently driving damage from flooding, wildfires, droughts, disease, and more destruction globally. And the threat is growing. Atmospheric concentrations of methane have accelerated at an unprecedented rate over the past century." Article link here.

Climate Emergency vs. Home Rule – Joey Cappelletti and John Hanna – Associated Press – “Michigan and more than a dozen other states are seeking to upend the decision-making process by grabbing the power to supersede local restrictions and allow state authorities to approve or disapprove locations for utility-scale projects. The shift has sparked a political backlash that may escalate as more states seek to simplify getting green energy projects approved and built.” Article link here.

"We know from a recent study that every tenth of a degree in temperature rise that we prevent keeps 140 million of our brothers and sisters in habitable zones on this planet. And nothing has changed my basic conviction about the key: we need to keep building huge movements to finally break the political power of the fossil fuel industry and force the emergency conversion to clean energy." —Bill McKibben

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.

(and Go Bills !!! :)

EVENTS:

*Indicates a New Listing or Updated Information

*2024 01 22 – NY Renews ClimateJobsJustice Mass Call – 6:00 pm ET– “We’re fighting to win this year! And what’s more? We actually have a chance: Governor Hochul included key components of the NY Heat Act in her executive budget proposal, signaling that we have real momentum entering the budget process. With NY HEAT and the rest of the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package, we can secure good, green jobs for all New Yorkers, more clean energy, and green infrastructure for all. But it’ll take a lot more organizing energy to secure this future for all New Yorkers.” Register here.

2024 01 22 to 24 – Online IGSHPA Accredited Installer Training with Ewbank Testing – “This Accredited Installer Course will be taught online over the course of three days. Cost includes all materials (digital) needed for course, 3 years of IGSHPA membership & AI Certification.”  To register through Farmingdale State College, click here.

2024 01 23 - Renewable Heat Now’s Rally & Lobby Day for the NY HEAT Act in Albany – 11 am to 4 pm ET – “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 23, 25 and 26 – Cap & Invest Webinars – “DEC and NYSERDA are continuing the public process to develop NYCI regulatory proposals prior to issuing a draft regulatory package and starting the formal regulatory process." The agencies are holding virtual stakeholder meetings next month that include:

Jan. 23, 3 to 4:30 p.m. – The Role of Cap-and-Invest

Jan. 25, 1 to 4 p.m. – Pre-Proposal Outline Overview

Jan. 26, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Preliminary Analysis Overview

Recordings of the webinars will be posted online following the events.”

Register here.

2024 01 25 – Appliance Standards, Electrification and Gas Prices – 12:00 pm ET – Electrify Now and the Advanced Water Heating Initiative - “The proposed new gas furnace standards would mean that replacing an old low efficiency furnace with a new high efficiency gas furnace would typically require costly venting upgrades. Switching to a heat pump would avoid those added costs and therefore make heat pumps an even more attractive option for millions of homes with aging gas furnaces… Join Electrify Now and the Advanced Water Heating Initiative as we explore these two important and interrelated topics of federal appliance standards and gas price increases.” 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 01 28 – Climate Action Network Virtual Party – 7:00 pm ET– “please join attorney and activist Raya Salter, Jessica Azulay from AGREE, Lisa Marshall from NYCP, and actress Geraldine Hughes as guest moderator … for a Climate Action Now virtual action party to support the NY HEAT Act.In these virtual parties, advocates take coordinated actions on the Climate Action Now app (please install it on your mobile device) to send hundreds if not thousands of messages to lawmakers and media on a single issue… it will be fun and impactful”  Register here.

*2024 01 30 – Climate Superfund Lobby Day in Albany - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm ET – “Urge the Governor & Legislature to put fiscal fairness & environmental justice front & center with the climate change superfund act in the budget. As taxpayers, we are paying the entire bill for climate costs right now – $2.1 billion in 2023 – while big oil made $750 billion in profits since 2021.  The climate superfund requires big oil to pay $3 billion a year, not you and me!” Register here.

*2024 02 14– IGSHPA Town Hall with Steve Kavanaugh on GSHP Cost Containment: Low Hanging Fruit Not in the Ground Loop – 11:30 am ET – For four (4) decades the mantra of ground source heat pump (GSHP) advocates has been, “we need to get the cost of the loop down’”. This has proved largely ineffective due to three primary reasons – which will be discussed during the session. Steve Kavanaugh is a noted geothermal expert who has been a featured speaker at the NY-GEO conference. Register here.

2024 03 06 – NY Thermal Energy Networks Summit – 8:30 am to 12:30 pm ET – “The Building Decarbonization Coalition, NYS Pipe Trades Association and City & State NY are proud to present The NY Thermal Energy Networks (TENS) Summit:  Scale up! Decarbonizing NY’s Neighborhoods at the Albany Capital Center…New York has positioned itself to be a national leader in using TENs with utility projects for several of these neighborhood-scale decarbonization infrastructure projects proposed for development across the state.” Register here for this free in-person (non virtual) event.



 2024 03 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. Registration not available yet .

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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 New York State. 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.

2024 04 08 and 09 – NY-GEO 2024 - 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 for Albany and learn more about becoming a sponsor and or exhibitor click here.

·      Book your stay at the Albany Marriott by clicking 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 for NYC 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.

NY-GEO members: to receive the discounted member rates, employees of your organization must be populated in the member database. Reach out to NY-GEO Executive Director Christine Hoffer at christine@ny-geo.org for assistance.

Not a Member? Click here to Join! 

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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

JOBS !                                                                    * = new listing

We NEED Your NY-GEO Member Job Postings – We only have 6 jobs posted right now so please add any openings members have to our NY-GEO Job Listings to 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.