By Matt Gamache, Simon Pritchard, Jesse Newton, and Jeff Endler

On August 16, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 into law. The IRA is a significant piece of legislation with impacts for a variety of industries, including expanded Medicare benefits and updates to the corporate tax code. However, the centerpiece of the Act is focused on the energy industry. To that end, the bill has been touted as the first major piece of U.S. legislation aimed at addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions. The IRA contains expansions and extensions of tax credits available to renewable technologies, incentives for electric vehicles, and other benefits aimed at energy upgrades for households. The ramifications for the energy industry are expected to be significant, with many of these provisions in effect for 10+ years. Analysts estimate the resulting emission reduction to be roughly 40 percent by the end of the decade. 

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This month’s CES Insights blog was written by CES’ Director of Natural Gas & Energy Services, Chris Brook. Chris has more than 21 years of experience in the energy business and our clients benefit every day from his long and successful history in the energy profession. At CES, Chris is responsible for natural gas scheduling, nominations, and balancing. He also provides administrative oversight for contract negotiations with pipelines, local distribution companies, and marketers. In this interview, Chris talks about his experience in the industry and with CES – and a bit about his life outside of the workplace.

How did you first got involved in the energy sector?

I moved to Maine and I met Larry Mahaney, President and CEO of Webber Energy Fuels on the golf course. Soon after this chance meeting, he offered me a job. I worked as a regional retail manager of Webber Energy Fuels and was there for 10 years selling oil, propane, and heating equipment. By the end of my tenure at Webber, I was also responsible for all of the company’s large commercial accounts. My introduction to CES also happened by chance. In 2009, CES was hosting a seminar at University of Maine, and I attended and watched with keen interest and quickly realized my next professional step, so, I actively sought out employment at CES. My tenacity paid off and they hired me. I started managing liquid fuels and natural gas nominations for our clients. 

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CES’ recent summer Road Trip involved a team visit to Littlefield Solar LLC, a project Competitive Energy Services administered on behalf of 15 clients that comprise Consortium 4.0 (see list below). Littlefield was one of four projects selected to provide Net Energy Billing credits to these CMP customers, primarily due to its late-stage development and readiness for completion. CES worked with the developer Walden Renewables to draft and execute a contract with 14 of the Consortium 4.0 members who are now all receiving financial credits on their CMP statements. This project just reached its commercial operations in late June, albeit at reduced capacity due to supply chain issues and the owner’s inability to obtain and install necessary

inverter equipment.

Consortium 4.O

Avesta Housing, Blueberry Broadcasting LLC, Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, City of Waterville

Gorham School District, Lewiston Housing Authority, Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Inc., Maine Veterans Home, New Balance Athletics, Inc, PalletOne of Maine, Portland Housing Authority, Shawnee Peak Holdings LLC (no link available), Skowhegan Savings Bank, Vessel Services Inc., and Westbrook Housing Authority

Pictured left to right: Andy Price, President & COO; Anthony Viola, Associate Manager of Data Services; Lauren Grey, Energy Services Advisor; Annie Boasberg, Intern; Charlie Agnew, Managing Director of Energy Services; Lydia Jopp, Senior Pricing Associate; and Tarik Cetin, Energy Analyst. 

Competitive Energy Services’ Eben Perkins, Vice President, Consulting and Charlie Agnew, Managing Director of Energy Services have been selected to speak at the New England Healthcare Engineers Society (NEHES) fall conference, to be held September 18 -21 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, ME.

In their session titled, “Renewable Energy Purchasing Strategies: How to Balance the Financial Impacts of Your Sustainability Targets,” Eben and Charlie will address how to evaluate the economics and greenhouse gas emissions impacts of renewable energy purchasing. Additional discussion will include how renewable energy procurement fits into sustainability planning and can help meet emissions reduction goals in a cost-effective way.

If you’re interested in learning more, please register to attend the NEHES conference this September. As always, feel free to also reach out to your CES Energy Services Advisor for more information.

Shorting the Grid: The Hidden Fragility of Our Electric Grid

By Meredith Angwin

In this exposé, Meredith Angwin demonstrates the hidden complications caused by a lack of accountability in grid governance. Though consumers for the large part are unaware of these challenges, grid insiders know the fragility of the grid but often have no incentive to solve the issues because close calls like rolling blackouts increase their profits. By detailing how closed meetings, antiquated auction rules, and short-term planning horizons will topple the reliability of the electric grid, Angwin spotlights just how vulnerable the grid is, while also suggesting actions that can be taken to change course – actions that will benefit all of us.