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Just In! for October 21, 2023
The weekly newsletter of the New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO)
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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. | |
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50+ Legislators Ask for NY-HEAT in 2024 State Budget – Kate Lisa – State of Politics – “More than 50 lawmakers are petitioning Gov. Kathy Hochul to include a proposal in next year's executive budget to stop new natural gas hookups and transition the state away from expanding its gas infrastructure in efforts to satisfy its climate goals.” (From 2023 10 20 – City & State First Read) Article link here. Link to the letter here.
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Liz Krueger , Senate Lead Sponsor of the NY HEAT Act
Interview with Mike Richter, Hockey Star, Brightcore Energy President and Geothermal Pioneer – Mike Munsell - Canary Media – “But really, what we’re finding exciting now, particularly with the Inflation Reduction Act and some of the legislation that’s coming out in cities and states in the East, is HVAC and especially geothermal heat pumps, where we have some proprietary technology that we’ve partnered on with European firms. We’re bringing it across the ocean to deploy here, and we now have the ability to apply geothermal technology in very dense urban settings, which opens up the retrofit market.” Article link here.
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Details on Con Edison’s Select Pricing Plan – Con Edison representatives David Orellano, Fred Yonghabi and Chris Gallo gave a presentation at NY-GEO’s October 13th “Let’s Talk” session on the Company’s innovative Select Pricing Plan. The plan which rewards electricity use that places minimal demand on the grid, which is typical of geothermal systems, has been providing substantial savings for Con Edison’s Westchester customers who are using it. The Company’s recent rate case settlement provides a price guarantee under which customers can try the rate, and in the rare circumstance where they don’t save money, the customer would get a refund for the difference. Link to the recording and slides of Con Edison’s October 13th presentation. | |
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Lawsuit Challenges NY’s Ban on Fossil Fuels in New Construction – Associated Press – “The case was filed by the National Association of Home Builders and the National Propane Gas Association, among others. It alleges that New York does not have the legal ability to enforce its rule because a preexisting federal law called the Energy Policy and Conservation Act already regulates energy use policies.” The ruling on which this suit is based - the Ninth Circuit’s CRA v. Berkeley – is currently under appeal. Article link here.
Short History of the Early Days of the US Geothermal Industry – Jay Egg & Kristy Egg – PHCP PROS – “There are many references to the beginning of the geothermal heat pump industry. The version rising to the top involves the founders of WaterFurnace International. David Hatherton’s father was a water well driller in Ontario, Canada. On a cold 1968 winter day in Ontario, Hatherton was onsite with his dad. During the initial pumping of a water well, Hatherton’s hands were very cold; his dad suggested he stick his hands in the well water, and he noticed that it was warm. Really, it was about 50 degrees, but it was so much warmer than the icy outside temperatures. It clicked that there was thermal energy in the ground, an unlimited resource. Ten years later, he stumbled upon a water-source heat pump at a water well convention in Oklahoma City displayed by David Hart (founder of TETCO and a true geo pioneer). A tank was filled with cold water; the heat pump pulled heat from the water and expelled warm air. It was an epiphany and set the path for the next 40-plus years.” Article link here.
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Dan Ellis, left, and Dave Hatherton, right
Job Creation Potential of Electricity, Heating, and Storage in Low-Carbon Buildings - Sovacool, Evensen, Kwan and Petit – The Electricity Journal - “Using the best available data as of 2022, the first-order assessment finds that more than 2 million new jobs and more than 141 million job years can be generated in Europe and the United States alone during the transition to net zero living.” Article link here.
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: No New Gas Lines - Allyson Chiu and Maxine Joselow - Washington Post – “Banning gas lines is one of more than 80 recommendations in a sweeping new report on how to speed up decarbonization in the U.S… As the country moves toward electrification, it wouldn’t make sense to continue adding gas lines to serve locations that eventually may be required to electrify”. Below is one of the informative charts from the 600 page report.- Article link here.
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Hot Chili Tour is a Hit ! – Renewable Heat Now’s Hot Chili Tour in support of the NY HEAT Act has visited 11 communities across the state, and winds up today in Saranac Lake and Wednesday in Buffalo. The Tour features an entertaining, educational and nutritious look at the energy transition New York is undergoing in order to meet its legally adopted climate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050. Scrumptious hot chili served up by Lisa Marshall, New Yorkers for Clean Power’s Advocacy and Organizing Director, is a high point in each of the events.
Link to the October 19 Albany Hot Chili Tour event press release here.
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Department of Defense Goes All-Electric on New Construction - Electrification of Standard Building Operations DOD Memo states: “For new military construction and major renovation projects that has not yet reached schematic design phase (up to 15 percent design), DoD Components will include in building designs the use of all-electric technologies for system components, including for space conditioning, water heating, cooking, and laundry, where market ready technologies exist.” Electrification of Standard Building Operations DOD Memo states: “For existing buildings, DoD Components will implement the use of all-electric technologies where market ready technologies exist, for building system components, including space conditioning, water heating, cooking, and laundry systems, upon a system’s expected end of useful life, unexpected system failure, or when buildings will undergo major renovation where various system components will be replaced as part of facility restoration and modernization.” Bulletin link here.
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UB Study Finds Link Between Cooking With “Unclean Fuels” And Developmental Delays In Children – Alexandra Grippo et. al. - Published in Environment Research, the study examined the impact of cooking fuels, heating fuels and passive smoking during pregnancy and up to 36 months after birth, tracking more than 4,000 mother-child pairs in upstate New York and assessing all domains of child development. The study found unclean cooking fuel exposure from pregnancy to 36 months of age increased the odds of failing any developmental domain by 28%, the gross motor domain by 52%, and the personal-social domain by 36%. Read the University’s press release here.
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Health Professionals, Lawmakers, & Advocates Release 9th Edition of The Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure – read Media - New report by Concerned Health Professionals of NY and Physicians for Social Responsibility shows the many negative health impacts of burning fracked gas in homes, illustrates urgent need for NY HEAT Act to get off gas and protect marginalized communities… Biologist and lead author on the report, Sandra Steingraber, PhD, said, "Gas-fired stoves and furnaces represent the terminus of a fracking pipeline that begins at the wellhead and ends in our kitchens and basements. All along this pipeline are toxic air pollutants–including carcinogenic benzene–environmental injustice, and health harms. The good news is that, with the right policies, we have all the technology we need to stop burning fossil fuel in our homes, electrify home appliances, and protect children's health." Article, recording and report link here.
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NYSEDA Seeks Cost-Benefit Input for NYS Energy Code – “The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is holding a series of public stakeholder meetings to gather input on the proposed criteria for determining cost-effectiveness of changes to the Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State (Energy Code). These meetings are the preliminary step in the process to establish a final rule for use by the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council to evaluate future revisions to the State Energy Code.” Albany and Buffalo sessions were held last week and the upcoming sessions are listed below. Link to NYSERDA’s Stakeholder Feedback and registration website Link to Chris Corcoran explaining NYSERDA’s process on Capital Pressroom radio program.
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Solar and Electrification Aren’t Always in Sync – Jim Kapsis, Ad Hoc Group, the Gist – “But there’s trouble brewing in clean energy paradise. Enter the emerging battle between the solar industry and electrification evangelists. The source of tension? Electricity prices and the goal of a ‘just transition.’ The Gist: electrification proponents would love to see electricity rates go down, while solar companies have an incentive for rates to stay high.” Article link here.
NY Rejects Funding Boost for Renewable Energy Projects – Samantha Maldonado – The City – The NY Public Service Commission has rejected a request by developers of wind and solar for a financial boost. The developers had asked to more than double the billions already promised in subsidies. The commission said paying the companies more would ultimately hit ratepayers with higher electric bills and that the original deal the companies struck should be honored. “The renewable energy industry is deeply disappointed with the Commission’s unfortunate ruling denying relief for renewable energy projects dealing with unprecedented inflation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Anne Reynolds, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. “The decision is short-sighted. We were hoping the Commission would act strategically on behalf of ratepayers and the environment; instead, their decision will result in increased costs and greenhouse gas emissions.” Article link here.
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The World is Approaching a Peak in Electricity Emissions – Dan McCarthy – Canary Media - Electricity production is the biggest source of CO2 emissions in the world, but a new report suggests the grid’s dirtiest days will soon be behind it. Article link here.
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Who Supports the Clean Energy Transition? – Anne Fischer – PV Magazine - A recent report finds generational, political and income divides as far as how people perceive the Biden administration.s clean energy agenda and the move to renewables in general. Article link here.
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Hochul Veto Throws Long Island Offshore Wind Project in Doubt – Charles Lane – Gothamist – “New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill that would have expedited an offshore wind project off the coast of Long Island and allowed for a transmission line under the public beach in the city of Long Beach. ‘It is incumbent on renewable energy developers to cultivate and maintain strong ties to their host communities,’ Hochul wrote in her veto message. ‘Here, the City Council of Long Beach, the host community for the wind power project, has made clear that, while it supports the state's efforts to transition from the use of fossil fuels, it would not support or authorize any alienation of parkland.’…Environmental advocates say the governor's veto shows that she’s not willing to fight harder to reach the state’s climate goals. ’There's going to be opposition to some of this stuff, that's fine,’ Alex Beauchamp, regional director for Food & Water Watch, said in an interview. ‘But we have to be tougher about it. If we're serious that we need to build it then we have to build it.’” Article link here.
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CA Looks to Build Solar and Transmission Along Highways – Jeff St. John – Canary Media – CA bill SB 49 orders the CA DOT to “evaluate the suitability” of the land it owns alongside highway infrastructure as sites for renewable energy and transmission facilities. The clear-cut procedures outlined in SB 49 are intended to make projects attractive to solar developers, who tend to focus on low-cost and complication-free sites. SB 49 could also jump-start the use of highway corridors for transmission lines (greatly reducing land-use problems and delays), a practice which is currently implemented only in Wisconsin. Article link here. | |
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Will Federal “Blue Hydrogen” Program Increase Emissions? – Jeff St. John – Canary Media – The Biden administration is releasing $7 billion in federal funding for hydrogen hub projects. Five of the seven consortia selected to compete for this funding plan significant investments in “blue hydrogen,” the practice of making hydrogen from fossil gas but capturing and storing the carbon emissions from the process. Climate advocates say that blue hydrogen is likely to increase greenhouse gas emissions and could lock in reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure to the detriment of building out clean electricity. Article link here
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$7B Power Line from Kansas to Indiana Moves Closer to Reality - Jeff St, John – Canary Media – “The Grain Belt Express is an example of what’s required to carry clean power from where it’s plentiful to where it’s needed. Now, it’s almost ready to be built.” Article link here.
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DOE Rebate Guidance – DOE Office of State and Community Energy Programs - “To respond to consumer demand and feedback from state energy programs, the U.S. Department of Energy has issued updated guidance for states applying for Home Energy Rebates funding. These updates will simplify requirements and reduce administrative complexities for states, which promotes faster program launches, more streamlined implementation, and an easier experience for households applying for rebates.” Thanks to Sage Briscoe at Rewiring America for this tip. Web page link here. | |
Should My HVAC Contracting Business Install Geothermal Systems? – IGSHPA blog – “Who knew that a nursery rhyme could teach us good business? Which rhyme? The one about an untenable balancing act:” Article link here. | |
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NY Green Bank Community Decarbonization Fund Regional Roundtables - “Join NY Green Bank on their Community Decarbonization Fund (CDF) Roadshow, a series of regional events (where) you’ll hear from NY Green Bank and local leadership on how community lenders can take advantage of CDF’s low-cost capital to finance affordable housing decarbonization projects in frontline communities. Attendees will also be able to connect and network with community lenders and developers, helping to strengthen industry partnerships.
· October 24, 2023--Finger Lakes
· October 25, 2023--Southern Tier
· November 9, 2023--Long Island
· November 15, 2023--Capital Region”
Register here
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Torrential Downpour Floods 150 NYC Schools, Throws Commutes into Disarray - Michael Elsen-Rooney, Alex Zimmerman, Julian Shen-Berro and Amy Zimmer – Chalkbeat New York – “The downpour, which dumped 5 inches in some parts of New York City by early Friday morning, affected service on every subway line, delayed dozens of school buses, and prompted both Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul to issue a state of emergency. Friday’s attendance rate of 77% was significantly down from about 90% the day before.” (From 2023 09 30 – City & State First Read) Article Link Here. |  | |
U.S. Treasury: The Impact of Climate Change on American Household Finances - “An analysis in the report finds that half of U.S. counties – populated by millions of Americans – face heightened future exposure to at least one of the three significant climate hazards described in the report: flooding, wildfire, or extreme heat. In addition, approximately one-fifth of all U.S. counties face both elevated vulnerability and elevated future exposure to these climate hazards.” Thanks to Washington Post Climate Coach Michael J. Coren for this tip. Report link here.
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6 Question Quiz on Hurricanes and the Climate Crisis – Climate Reality Project – “Myths and misinformation about hurricanes are still rampant, spreading confusion about how they form and their connection to the climate crisis. But with a potentially unprecedentedly active end to this hurricane season, it’s more critical than ever to stop misinformation before it spreads. That’s why we put together a quiz so you can test your knowledge and share these critical facts with your community.” - Take the Quiz here.
| September 29th NY City Deluge – Karen DeWitt – WSKG – PBS - “’Friday's experience of crisis wasn't even a big storm. It's just what they're calling heavy rain in the new normal,’ (Senator Liz) Krueger said. ‘Heavy rain can do that much damage, because frankly, our infrastructure is not there to meet our needs.’ She said costs for upgrading the city’s sewer systems to withstand the more intense rainfall could be $100 billion.” Article link here. | Billion Dollar Weather & Climate Disasters – National Centers for Environmental Information – “A study conducted by the National Centers for Environmental Information found that the Northeast was affected by 130 U.S. weather disasters between 1980 and September 2023. Those disasters took the lives of 5,693 people in the U.S. and culminated in losses exceeding $1 billion each, according to the report.” Thanks to Anne Rabe of NYPIRG for this tip. Study webpage 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
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2023 10 21 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Saranac Lake – Noon ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.
2023 10 25 – Hot Chili Tour Comes to Buffalo – 7:00 pm ET –Renewable Heat Now’s tour in support of the NY-HEAT Act - See 2023 09 30 event above. Details here.
2023 10 27 – 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.
*2023 11 08 – IGSHPA Town Hall with John Freitag – 11:30 am ET – Speaker: John Freitag of Geothermal Association of Illinois, Topic: Illinois geothermal “group buy” programs, changing the way GSHPs being promoted and sold. Register here.
*2023 11 08 – Geothermal Economics: Understanding and Leveraging the Inflation Reduction Act – 2:00 pm ET – Green Builder - Speaker: Joe Parsons, Senior Marketing Sustainability Manager for Climate Control Group ”This session provides an explanation of how to leverage IRA Tax Credits up to 50% for the installation of geothermal systems for commercial building owners and 30% for homeowners. Understand how to maximize accelerated depreciation deductions and government rebates for nonprofit entities.” Register here.
2023 11 09 - Renewable Heat Now November 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 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 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 04 08&09 – NY-GEO 2024 Albany- 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. We look forward to sharing registration, sponsorship, and exhibiting information SOON. Albany, April 8-9 will open with an exhibitor happy hour on the 8th and a full day of session tracks on the 9th with a focus on Upstate topics. Brooklyn, October 21-23 includes two full days of sessions (4 tracks), the popular NY-GEO Annual Dinner and planning for a day of local project site tours. It’s NY-GEO’s first conference Downstate and will emphasize content on how to address densely populated areas and large commercial buildings to be sure! NY-GEO Members can attend the conferences at a discounted rate, so now is a good time to renew your membership through 2024.
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). Like the previous three conferences, papers will undergo peer-review to ensure quality. Details will follow, but it is anticipated that abstracts will be due on September 18, 2023 and papers due around November 20, 2023. Conference website - https://igshpa.org/igshpa-research-conference/
2024 10 21 to 23 – NY-GEO 2024 Brooklyn - 2024 04 08&09 above
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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.
NY-GEO Website job listings are here.
The Building Performance Contractors Association (BPCA) Career Center is here.
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