What’s Going on with the New England Grid?: A Look-See 3 Years into the Future
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Since Dec 6, 2021, the New England electricity grid operator (ISO-NE), has had a press release stickied at the top of its news release website: “Harsh weather conditions could pose challenges to New England’s power system this winter.” The release discussed the primary takeaways from the ISO’s winter outlook, and flagged a heightened concern for system reliability this winter as the challenges posed by global fuel pricing and supply chain disruption could put pressure on a long-standing regional fuel security issue. Although natural gas is the region’s dominant fuel used for power generation, it is also the primary heating fuel for much of Southern New England, and the severely constrained regional natural gas pipeline system serves heating demand first and foremost. On the coldest days of the year, when that demand for heating fuel spikes, the region feared it may not be able to rely on the usual backstops of liquified natural gas (LNG) and oil to make up a power generation shortfall if no LNG tankers divert from their route to higher prices abroad, or freight labor shortages limit the availability of emergency liquid fuel deliveries. The report raised the prospect of implementing emergency actions in a colder than average scenario, measures such as emergency imports, demand response calls, and in the most severe circumstances, controlled outages, a potential first in the two-decade history of ISO-NE. Read more
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Case Study: New Balance Athletics, Inc.
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CES has been working with New Balance Athletics, Inc. to develop annual energy budgets for more than 10 years. Over that time, CES has worked with the New Balance Facilities Operations Team to navigate a variety of changes in the energy industry, markets, regulations, and changes to New Balance’s operations. As always, CES starts with energy consumption data to establish historic baselines for each New Balance facility account at a monthly level. CES regularly works closely with the New Balance team to account for new facilities, occupancy changes, infrastructure updates, and other factors influencing expectations for energy consumption. Based on that consumption profile, CES applies each utility account’s specific utility tariff and energy supply agreements to establish budget projections, specific to energy commodity, for each facility account. Finally, CES uses market futures, pending rate cases, and general economic trends to forecast potential rate changes in each utility jurisdiction to establish a final budget to deliver to the New Balance Facilities Operations Team.
CES provides these budget projections at a level of detail that helps New Balance to understand exactly what assumptions and factors go into each budget line item. This includes analysis of year-over-year trends in energy consumption and costs, to walk through expectations for each location. This process helps to ensure that all stakeholders agree on the assumptions and serves as a vital reference point when attempting to understand future variances. As we have all learned in the last couple years, so many factors can change after a budget has been established. Understanding how those changes will impact ongoing energy costs is key in enabling companies like New Balance to adapt to new realities. Energy prices and consumption can vary significantly from year-to-year and going through this detailed process has helped to keep the New Balance team ahead of those changes. Finally, the budget has served as a vital decision-making tool when considering options for energy procurement or investigating the impact of potential new projects. Modeling the impact of these decisions versus the energy budget allows New Balance to understand specific ramifications of each decision, so that the New Balance Facilities Operations Team can be fully prepared when considering its options.
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The CES Carbon Tracker is one such tool. The CES Carbon tracker model was developed by our team of experts to measure the carbon footprint created by the economic activities of a business or institution, and in turn, create a strategy that works best for clients while reducing GHG emissions.
With Carbon Tracker, clients are able to establish a baseline of GHG emissions, measure GHG emissions over time in comparison to that baseline, and compare and evaluate the benefits and costs of multiple strategies and policies with the ultimate goal of reducing GHG emissions.
If you would like to learn more about CES’ Carbon Tracker and how it could benefit your business, please contact your Energy Services Advisor today!
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CES Team Featured Speakers at 2022 Campus Energy Conference
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Are you attending the CampusEnergy 2022 in Boston this week? Be sure to join Competitive Energy Services as we present and exhibit at this year's conference hosted by the Westin Boston Seaport District Hotel.
Tuesday, February 15 @ 2:30 p.m.
“Scaling Onsite Renewable Energy”
(part of the conference’s Microgrid Workshops)
Zac Bloom, Vice President and Head of Sustainability & Renewables and Eben Perkins, Vice President, Consulting Services, along with co-presenter Steve Lemay, Facilities Director, University of Massachusetts Amherst will discuss how UMass Amherst has embraced sustainability, including an expanding campus microgrid. The presentation will focus on the development process and operational strategies for using on-site renewable energy generation and smart grid technologies connected to a campus microgrid, highlighting lessons learned/best practices for industry peers who are considering solar, battery storage, and/or demand management solutions.
Wednesday, February 16 @ 10:45 a.m.
“Pathway to Carbon Mitigation: UMass Amherst Campus Roadmap”
Zac Bloom and co-presenters Ted Mendoza, Capital Projects Manager and Ezra Small, Sustainability Manager of UMass, Amherst, will discuss how UMass Amherst developed an Energy Master Plan that evaluates strategies to decarbonize campus operations.
Conference attendees are also invited to visit the CES booth on the trade show floor to chat with Senior Vice President, Energy Services, Keith Sampson, and Director of Strategic Partnerships & Senior Energy Services Advisor, Larry Pignataro, about your energy needs. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Is Fuel Switching or Arbitrage Right for Your Business? |
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Do seasonal and market fluctuations leave you wondering about options that exist to help your business conserve energy costs and usage? These ever-changing variables often have a significant impact on a business’s cash flow and bottom line, especially when using multiple fuel sources. Fuel switching or arbitrage may be the answer to managing your energy use and spend.
What is Fuel Switching? Fuel switching is an option for businesses that have the capacity or systems to rely on multiple fuel sources. As market conditions change, one fuel source is often cheaper in price than the other and fuel switching allows businesses to switch between the two sources to cut costs.
What is Arbitrage? Arbitrage is essentially fuel switching with an extra step. Businesses that are locked in a fixed supplier rate can sell back the fuel they committed to previously (sometimes at a significant premium), then purchase the alternate fuel at lower market price, pocketing the difference in cost.
What is CES’ role in fuel switching and arbitrage when it comes to our clients? “It’s our fiduciary responsibility to let our clients know that this is an option for them,” according to CES Director of Natural Gas & Energy Services, Chris Brook, who oversees the majority of this process. CES keeps a close eye on the market conditions year-round and is prepared to advise clients with dual or tri-source fuel systems on the best time to switch. As each client has different needs, CES provides an in-depth look at the pricing differences between fuel sources, what it’s going to cost to do the switch, how long the switch will take, and if it’s worth it to you and your business in the long run.
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Competitive Energy Services’ Analytics Team do everything from prepare energy budgets, manage and analyze data, consult and advise clients on energy policy – and more. Individually and as a team, they guide conversations and inform decisions that help our clients achieve their energy goals.
In addition to profiling the A Team (as they are affectionately known at CES), we asked each team member to share a bit about their projects that energize and inspire them every day and why.
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Simon Pritchard joined CES as an Energy Analyst in 2016 and was promoted to Director of Analytics in 2021. He works closely with full-service and consulting clients in the corporate, higher education, and public sectors on projects ranging from market and regulatory monitoring, energy budgeting, and demand management to renewable energy project evaluation and sustainability planning. As part of his work at CES, Simon oversees the competitive bid processes for the procurement and sale of clients’ Renewable Energy Credits. He holds a B.A. in Government and Legal Studies and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College.
“The projects that inspire and energize me are those that present a challenging problem to solve in order to help others. Whether it’s helping another analyst find a better way to visualize interesting data, trying to iron out the bugs in a model, or crafting a renewable energy strategy to fit the needs of a client, puzzling through difficult problems brings a learning, collaborative mindset that fuels me past the point where we’ve found the answer, and extends to the rest of my day."
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Jesse Newton joined Competitive Energy Services as an Energy Analyst in 2018 and was recently promoted to Associate Manager of Analytics in 2021. Jesse’s responsibilities include preparing energy budgets, data management, analyzing efficiency projects and sustainability initiatives. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College.
“I am inspired by the broad scope of our clients’ projects, especially those related to making our society’s energy production and usage more sustainable for the future. I enjoy the challenge of working on difficult problems such as electricity price forecasting, energy storage, and analyzing new state policies to best understand how our clients’ present and future projects can be at the forefront of the industry. Finally, I am energized by the ongoing goal to make our vision and work at CES accessible for our clients and greater society. In a role that can often be technical, I appreciate each of the opportunities for collaboration with my CES colleagues, on all our teams. Working between teams allows us to not only excel in our analyses and projections, but also, to make our work meaningful and applicable for our clients.”
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Aaron Rubin joined CES as an Energy Analyst in 2020 and was promoted to Senior Energy Analyst in 2021. Aaron’s primary responsibilities are energy budgeting, commodity markets research, greenhouse gas accounting, sustainability initiatives, and data management. His interests at CES include data visualization, financial modeling for energy projects, & renewable power policy. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Government & Legal Studies from Bowdoin College.
“I find it most rewarding to work on projects that help our clients integrate and comprehend their various complex energy initiatives into a single energy management plan. By seeing how a client’s existing energy infrastructure interacts together, we can help them to assess any shortcomings and/or identify future investment opportunities that will help them to meet their cost management or sustainability goals. This approach to work particularly inspires me, as are clients are able to align and sustain their business goals with New England’s rapid energy transition.”
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Charlotte Del Col joined CES in July of 2021 as an Energy Analyst. Her primary focuses at CES include energy budgeting and sustainability initiatives. She also assists with consulting projects, specifically regarding energy policy and regulation. Prior to CES, she conducted undergraduate research on the social implications of implementing offshore wind and tidal energy technologies in Maine communities. She recently graduated from Colby College with a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Anthropology.
“I have really enjoyed the role CES plays in assisting our clients in achieving their sustainability goals. I appreciate our ability to help our clients save money, while simultaneously forecasting energy trends to facilitate investments in renewable energy. It inspires me to be working alongside industry experts to assist our clients with a wide range of energy needs.”
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Hannah Parks joined CES as an Energy Analyst in 2021. Hannah’s primary focus within CES is renewable energy procurement. Prior to CES, Hannah held positions with Boston Consulting Group, and the Northeast Clean Energy Council. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and International Affairs with a minor in Business Administration from the Northeastern University College of Science.
“As a CES Analyst, it’s been energizing to be able to work with such a wide array of clients, from local universities to tech companies in California. So many of our clients have set incredible goals for renewable energy procurement or energy saving projects to help reduce their environmental impact, and it’s so rewarding to be able to guide and support them through those processes. Sustainability has always been an important component of our services, and the projects that our clients are a part of have already made such a significant impact in New England and beyond.”
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Jeff Endler joined CES in October of 2021 as an Energy Analyst. His primary interests include energy policy and regulation, particularly with respect to renewable energy development. Prior to joining CES, Jeff held positions in public affairs, politics, and government administration, having previously worked on political campaigns and in congressional offices. He holds a B.A. in Government and Environmental Policy from Colby College.
“Projects that require the analytics team to research and draw on knowledge from all aspects of the energy industry – be it energy markets, the policy and regulatory landscape, sustainability and renewables – are the ones that most energize me on a day-in and day-out basis. Being able to effectively support our clients with valuable information, advice and recommendations through thoughtful and collaborative research and analysis of the greater energy industry is an incredibly rewarding experience. While I have only been at CES for a handful of months, I continue to look forward to working closely with and learning from my colleagues to further contribute to our client’s energy needs, no matter what they may be.”
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CES takes pride in the successes of our team members, and it is our pleasure to announce a number of recent promotions within our team. |
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Matt Gamache has been promoted from Managing Director of Analytics to Vice President Analytics & Operations. Matt Gamache joined CES in 2014 and has demonstrated a strong sense of leadership over the years, significantly contributing to all of CES’ operations while overseeing the Analytical department and managing key client projects, contract review and market research. Matt’s new role will help him to continue setting a high CES standard on expert energy advisory services.
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Eben Perkins has been promoted from Managing Director of Consulting Services to Vice President Consulting. Eben Perkins joined CES in 2016 and manages a significant number of tasks, including most of our complex consulting projects as well as energy policy review and regulatory interventions. This new role will provide opportunity for Eben to increase his participation in the management of our company while he continues to direct CES consulting and regulatory efforts.
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Larry Pignataro has been promoted from Associate Manager & Senior Energy Services Advisor to Director of Strategic Partnerships and Senior Energy Services Advisor. Larry joined CES in 2017 and since then has taken on a number of roles and responsibilities within the Energy Services Advisor (ESA) team. Taking the lead on strengthening strategic partnership and supplier relationships, Larry will continue improve our communications with customers and prospective clients and drive new business development opportunities.
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Zack Hallock has been promoted from Energy Service Advisor to Senior Energy Services Advisor. Zack joined CES in 2019 and currently manages 15 full-service accounts, among a significant number of procurement clients. Zack’s enthusiasm and efforts to provide the best service our customers, while also demonstrating leadership and extensive knowledge on the Energy Services Advisor (ESA) team, is recognized and will only grow in this new role.
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The CES team continues to grow, and we invite you to join us in welcoming Catherine Nisbet as our newest Energy Analyst!
Catherine Nisbet joined CES in 2022 as an Energy Analyst. Catherine is a 2020 graduate of Colby College with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Policy.
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Staff Picks: Matt's Picks...
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“The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future” tells the story of our national power grid and what’s been called “the largest machine in the world.” Author Gretchen Bakke takes readers on a journey through the power grid’s evolution, history, its problematic present, and its potentially bright future – one that’s not without roadblocks that will require consensus among the left and the right. The grid -- a triumph of the 20th century -- is aging and as we invest in solar, wind, and other energy alternatives, it potentially stands in the way of change. This book discusses how we need to reimagine the grid according to 21st-century values and needs.
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The MIT Energy Initiative Podcast was a 40-episode podcast that covered a wide-range of energy topics between 2018 - 2021. Topics included: solar, battery storage, small startups, energy legislature, and featured many special academic guest speakers.
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If you have a pressing energy question, or would like to hear about a particular topic in a future edition of the CES Insider, please contact us on our website today. We look forward to hearing from you! |
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