 |
The report's best practices for both municipalities and gas companies focus on sharing infrastructure plans and utilizing effective communication in order to identify opportunities to synchronize gas main replacement projects with municipal upgrades to water- and sewer- mains, as well as street repaving projects.
Get a glimpse of the report's findings and the best practices for municipalities and gas companies on our new interactive gas leaks website,
http://fixourpipes.org.
If you're interested in learning more about any of MAPC's clean energy programs, please
contact us.
|
Massachusetts has over 5,000 miles of leak-prone natural gas pipe that needs to be replaced. On average, how much does it cost to replace just one mile of leak-prone pipe?
|
NEW Blog Post! How Municipalities Are Saving Money and Energy through MAPC's Peak Demand Notification Program
For most of us, paying for electricity means paying for what we use. Municipalities do that, too, but they also have to pay something called a capacity charge for their large accounts. This is a charge assessed by ISO-New England, the grid operator, to ensure account holders pay in proportion to their usage and that there is enough electric "capacity" available on the grid. The charge is calculated for each account on the basis of its demand during the grid's annual peak hour that year: the one hour of that year during which grid-wide demand was at its highest. It is like children being put on Santa's nice list according to their behavior not over the whole year, but over a single hour....
Continue reading here.
|
|
MAPC Hosts Municipal Green Vehicle Technology Workshops: RSVP for Nov 1 & 16
MAPC
has partnered with the Commonwealth's Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and Operational Services Division (OSD) to offer a groundbreaking bid for Green Vehicle Technology. The contract, VEH102, is now available to cities and towns across the state as of this month, covers electric vehicle charging stations, anti-idling equipment and after-market hybrid retrofits. Local governments will be able to purchase equipment that will improve air quality and reduce the fuel used by their fleets.
MAPC is hosting two informational workshops with vendor coffee hours in November to help cities and towns better understand the products offered and the financial, operational, and environmental benefits they provide. At the workshop you will have the opportunity to: hear from peers with experience purchasing green vehicle technology, understand the benefits of these technologies for your bottom line, get the low-down on available financing tools to make these decisions more affordable, and talk face-to-face with the qualified vendors on the state contract. Please register for the workshop that is most convenient for you:
- Morse Institute Library, Natick, MA: Nov 1, 8:30AM - 11:00AM, register here.
- Union Station (CMRPC), Worcester, MA: Nov 16, 10:00AM - 12:30PM, register here.
|
|
Selected vendors on the VEH102 contract for Advanced Vehicle Technology
|
MA DOER Calls for Comments on the Next Solar Incentive Straw Proposal: due TODAY
In September, the
Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) presented their vision for the next generation of solar incentives in Massachusetts to the public. The plan aims to make the incentives more predictable and streamlined over time. Read more about the plan
here and
here.
The straw proposal put together by DOER is also informed by a third party analysis commissioned at the beginning of 2016. Earlier this month, Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC completed a
Solar Incentive Design Report
for DOER with the goal of providing an in depth analysis of the revenue requirements for solar projects and an evaluation of different incentive program types. To read the report, go
here
.
DOER will be accepting comments on the straw proposal of the solar incentives until
October 28 (TODAY). Stakeholders can submit all comments via email to
DOER.SREC@state.ma.us. To sign up for updates from DOER on the solar incentives
fill out this form.
|
MA DOER Green Communities Designation & Annual Report Deadlines: Nov 21 and Dec 2
The deadline for Green Communities Designation applications is Monday, November 21st at 5:00 PM. For existing Green Communities, the annual report deadline is fast approaching as well with reports due on December 2nd. Please contact your Green Communities Regional Coordinator if you have any questions about your community's designation application or annual report. You can find their contact information
here
.
|
|
The
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
(MassCEC) and the
Department of Energy Resources
(DOER) are seeking proposals from Massachusetts cities and towns to demonstrate local interest and engagement in participating in the 2017 Solarize Massachusetts program and 2017 Solarize Mass Plus multiple technology pilot program.
Solarize Mass is now in the seventh year of the program and has led to more than 2,700 residents and business owners in 63 cities and towns across the Commonwealth signing contracts for small-scale solar electricity systems.
Up to ten communities will be chosen for the 2017 Solarize Program and up to two communities will be selected to participate in Solarize Mass Plus. To access all the necessary application materials, go here. Completed application materials should be submitted to Solarize@MassCEC.com.
|
The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Massachusetts Energy Services Coalition (MAESC) are hosting a free one-day workshop on November 1, from 10AM to 12:30PM. The workshop will be focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy using Energy Management Services in Massachusetts. Energy Management Services (EMS), is a type of Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) that provides a performance guarantee from the company that installs the equipment. EMS is an alternative public procurement method used to purchase energy conservation measures, energy efficiency and water conservation measures and onsite energy generation. The workshop will highlight past successes and look ahead to future opportunities.
To register for the workshop go
here
.
|
On September 16, 2016, as a result of the Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court ruling that requires MassDEP to create new regulations that "impose a limit on greenhouse gas emissions," Governor Baker signed Executive Order 569 which directed the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to "coordinate and make consistent new and existing efforts to mitigate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change."
The Department of Environmental Protection is currently seeking public comment and input from citizens on the development of these regulations. To submit comments, or for more information go
here
.
|
Join MassCEC and leading Massachusetts clean energy innovation companies on November 17, from 8:30AM to 11:30AM, in Boston for an interactive expo highlighting technologies aimed at cutting energy use and costs.
The goal of the expo is connect public entities with energy challenges to Massachusetts-based clean energy and water innovation technologies. Eligible projects could receive thousands of dollars in funding to offset project costs and save taxpayer dollars via MassCEC's DeployMass program. The technologies available through the DeployMass program are third-party validated, commercial ready and approved providers including HVAC, energy management and monitoring, renewably energy generation, energy efficiency and water technologies.
Register for the event here. If you have any questions regarding registration or the Massachusetts as a First Customer Program, please contact Marinna Teixeira
.
|
|
Metropolitan Area Planning Council | 60 Temple Place | Boston, MA 02111
|
|
|
|
|
|
