July 2022
Energy's Optimistic Future Perspectives from Our A-Team
Most energy-related news today has been focused on commodity market volatility, scarcity conditions, political turmoil, price increases, and project delays. To provide a dose of optimism for the future we recently asked the newest members of the Competitive Energy Services’ Analytics Team to share what was on their mind that has them feeling optimistic about the future of the energy industry. Here’s what they had to say. 

The Green Future of Heating Homes | Emmett Burns, Energy Analyst 

Heating homes often involves the combustion of fossil fuels, usually natural gas, or heating oil. While this has historically been the norm and worked well across the country, as we take a more critical look at our energy consumption and climate change the alternatives to fossil fuels for heating are interesting and promising. 

One alternative to natural gas heating is RNG (renewable natural gas). RNG is produced by capturing methane, primarily from farm waste and landfills, and processing it so that it can be distributed and combusted like traditional natural gas. The methane, that would otherwise enter the atmosphere, is combusted releasing carbon dioxide. This is exciting because methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide so using RNG has the potential to be net carbon negative. Implementing RNG will also give gas utilities more time to adapt to the changing energy landscape as many states pass strict climate legislation. 


Photo by Karsten Wurth
Meet Annie Boasberg CES Intern
Tell us a bit about your background and what led you to Bowdoin College and Maine.
I’m from Washington, DC, but my family and I have been coming to Maine ever since I can remember. We bounced around from Scarborough, Higgins Beach, Small Point in Phippsburg, and recently made our way back to Scarborough where we purchased a home. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from these visits to Maine each summer, which drove my interest in the area during the college visit process.
 
Bowdoin appealed to me because of its high academics, the small school environment, and the people I met going through the college search process. The community at Bowdoin really makes it special, in particular, the athletics department and coaching staff and women’s basketball team, of which I’m a part of now. In addition to the academics and the friends I have made, my experience on the women’s basketball team has transformed my Bowdoin experience. The team instilled in me values of selflessness, female leadership, and togetherness that I carry into my everyday life. People have a genuine love and investment in each other. I am surrounded by brilliant and humble individuals.
 
What are you studying at Bowdoin?
Environmental Studies and Government and Legal studies. I am focusing on American Government under the government major and have been most interested in classes surrounding environmental justice and environmental law.
 
Why did you apply for an internship at CES? What are you hoping to get out of your experience here?
I first became interested in CES after talking to Aaron Rubin, a Senior Analyst with CES and Bowdoin alum. In the past I worked for nonprofits primarily focused on sustainable agriculture, food waste, and or the climate crisis’s effect on human health. While I really loved these experiences, I wanted to explore the environmental and energy consulting field. Additionally, I have always been interested in renewable energy. Bowdoin offers few courses that discuss the science and efficiency of renewable energy technologies. Having the opportunity to learn how these technologies directly contribute to American’s electricity and energy consumption drew me to CES. Lastly, during a time when clean energy technology is growing and evolving to combat the climate crisis and meet global standards on decarbonization, energy consulting is dynamic, exciting, and essential to supporting this process.   
 
I am hoping that my time at CES will help me learn about different renewable technologies and their efficiency in generating electricity, heat, and cooling systems. Additionally, I am interested in learning about the analyses that go into recommending practical, cost effective, and sustainable options for businesses and schools to reach their energy needs. Specifically, I hope to understand how data from market trends, state standards, and supply chains informs our energy advising, planning, and management. So far, I have looked at delivery and supply rates, compared trends of schools’ capacity tags, recorded savings from credits programs, and researched Renewable Portfolio Standards as a starting point. I plan on expanding on these topics and data analysis skills throughout the rest of the summer.
 
What are you passionate about with respect to energy?
Energy is fascinating because it includes a crossover of various fields including global politics, economics, environmental policy, and technological innovation. This makes it dynamic, exciting, and consistently relevant in our world’s future. I am most passionate about working with individuals to push them in a direction that accelerates our world’s energy transition.
 
What are your goals and dreams?
In general, I dream of doing a lot of travelling after I graduate and eventually moving to Northern California to work on sustainable agriculture or food insecurity. However, I do see myself coming back to Maine at a minimum in the summers. In this moment, I have the more attainable goal of finishing college and starting my career in the environmental justice or sustainability field. I have considered the possibility of getting my master’s in environmental sustainability while using my last year of eligibility to play basketball.
 
Your CES colleagues on the Analytics team were asked this same question in this issue of the Insider. We want to know what has you feeling optimistic about the future of energy?
I think this internship has given me a lot more faith in the future of our world’s clean energy technologies and solutions. I did not know the rate at which new technologies are being developed and that legislation is being drafted to aid in the implementation of these technologies. My dream is to see the direct effect technological innovations have on slowing the rate of warming. In the meantime, I hope to work with organizations, people, and land to repair some of the damages to our planet. I have thought about starting my own organization; however, I think there are so many already out there that are attempting to achieve the same goals. I would love to see these organizations come together and collaborate in the future to tackle the climate crisis. 

Photo by Nina Callanan (Annie photographed in front of the CES Corporate Office in Portland, ME.)
CES Supports Six Inspiring Young Maine Leaders Brookie Awards
Across Maine, young people are taking bold action for our climate and our environment. The Natural Resources Council of Maine believes that passion deserves to be celebrated, rewarded, and fostered into lifelong advocacy. At Competitive Energy Services (CES) we agree, and we are showing our support this year by sponsoring the 2022 Brookie Awards
 
Every two years, the Brookie Awards honor six young changemakers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, creativity, and collaboration, and who have made a significant positive impact in Maine’s environmental movement. The 2022 Brookie Award winners are leading advocates for clean water, climate education, fossil fuel divestment, renewable energy, and more. Following a statewide application and nomination process, the Brookie Award selection committee identified six inspiring winners for this year’s recognition, who each receive a cash prize of $2,000.
 
Congratulations to the 2022 Brookie Award winners: Noela Alvater, Kiara Frischkorn, Lucas Healy, Kosis Ifeji, Greg LeClair, and Anna Siegel.
 
Learn more about the 2022 winners and/or register to attend the free awards ceremony and reception on Thursday, July 14 at O’Maine Studios in Portland by visiting the Brookies website.
On the Links CES Supports AFE33 Annual Golf Tournament
On Tuesday, June 21, Competitive Energy Services (CES) participated in the 2022 Annual Leo J. Monty Scholarship Golf Tournament, hosted by the Association for Facilities Engineering (Chapter 33), a professional membership organization serving specialists working in the built environment. AFE brings together professionals who ensure the optimal operation of high-rise commercial real estate, industrial plants, classified and non-classified government facilities, campuses of higher education, and medical centers around the world. Established in 1915, AFE remains the leading technical education and credentialing resource for facilities management professionals.
Leo J. Monty was a founding member of The Boston Plant Engineers Club, which became AIPE (American Institute of Plant Engineers), now known as AFE. During his lifetime, Leo was dedicated to the field of Plant Engineering and promoted education and networking among his colleagues. In his honor, the Leo J. Monty Scholarship Fund issues scholarships to people pursuing degrees or certifications to advance their careers in Facility Engineering and Management and also supports students pursuing studies in engineering related fields. 

CES values its partnership in AFE33 and the work they do in the community. We look forward to supporting next year’s event!

Pictured from left-to-right:
Steve Roberge, Vice President, EHS and Facilities, Axcelis Technologies; Zack Hallock, Senior Energy Advisor, Competitive Energy Services; Keith Sampson, Senior Vice President, Energy Services, Competitive Energy Services; and Donald T. Zukowski, Operations Support Manager, ONYX Special Papers, Inc.
Staff Picks Zack Hallock
 
If you're looking for a quick afternoon read, this book is for you. The Conundrum is often considered a mind-changing manifesto about the environment, efficiency, and the real path to sustainability and is filled with information and stories that take readers on an eye-opening journey through the history of energy and the pursuit of efficiency. In it, David Owen proposes that we have the technology and knowledge we need to live sustainably.

This elegant nonfiction narrative is an unputdownable read and -- bottom line - is a book about the environment that will alter how you look at the world.
Have an Energy Question?
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!