|
Just In! for April 6, 2024
The weekly newsletter of the New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO)
| |
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. | |
See more details in the listings in the Events section below in green type. | |
Assemblymembers Call for NY HEAT in State Budget – Luke Parsnow - State of Politics – “Members of the New York state Assembly on Tuesday urged the chamber’s speaker, Carl Heastie, and Gov. Kathy Hochul to include the NY HEAT Act, which aligns utility regulation with state climate justice and emission reduction targets, in the state budget. ‘Regular New Yorkers who did not create the climate crisis should not be paying to shoulder the cost of our clean energy transition, and NY HEAT ensures that transition is affordable, reliable, and planned,’ said state Assemblymember Pat Fahy, who sponsors the legislation in that chamber." Article link here, |  | |
NY HEAT Act Assembly Sponsor Pat Fahy
April is Geothermal Month - The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) and Geothermal Exchange Organization (GeoExchange) - "In collaboration with state-level Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) organizations, electric and gas utilities, GHP manufacturers and market stakeholders, National Geothermal Month will be a multi-faceted public awareness and public outreach effort intended to build momentum for the widespread application of the most efficient HVAC technology available today, the Geothermal Heat Pump." Link to press release and the data beow here.
| |
|
ANOTHER Gas Explosion – This One in Colonie, NY – Two Restaurants Destroyed – Chet Davis – WRGB News – "Demolition has officially started on this building that exploded around 3 o’clock this morning (2024 04 04). They quickly put out this fire…but then they had to work to close off the gas lines. They believe this was a natural gas explosion inside this building that was the home to a pair of restaurants.” Link to 2 minute video here.
| |
|
New PSC Commissioners Confirmed by Senate – Email from Marie J. French – POLITICO – “Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first nominees for the state’s powerful utility regulator were confirmed during the Senate session on Wednesday (2024 03 27) . They are Uchenna Bright, the Democratic nominee who has previously worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Denise Sheehan, a Republican who was previously commissioner at the Department of Environmental Conservation. Bright will take former Gov. Andrew Cuomo aide John Howard’s seat, while Sheehan will fill Republican Diane Burman’s seat. Bright during her confirmation hearing emphasized the costs of climate change and the benefits of taking action to fight it… Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger. She said she’s optimistic about a third nominee coming soon from the governor, as well.“ French reports minority Senate Republicans “ultimately voted against Uchenna Bright, the Democratic nominee who has previously worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council, while supporting Denise Sheehan.”
| |
|
More on Con Edison and the 100-foot Subsidy – Last week we told you Con Edison had released a statement on repealing the 100-foot rule as part of the NY State budget bill. This week, courtesy of Marie J. French of POLITICO, we have a link to the statement, which includes this key phrase “Eliminating the 100-foot rule subsidy will further encourage customers to adopt clean technologies such as heat pumps for their heating and cooling needs, and will reduce investment in a system that needs to reduce its footprint and throughput for the state to achieve its climate goals.” Statement link here.
| |
|
Con Edison CEO John McAvoy
NYSERDA Unveils Data Platform – Sean Wolfe - Renewable Energy World – “The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced the completion of the first phase of development of the New York State Integrated Energy Data Resource (IEDR) platform, a statewide centralized platform designed to expand access to energy-related data from New York’s electric, gas, and steam utilities – and other sources. The launch… has enabled user access to utility hosting capacity maps as well as installed and planned distributed energy resources (DERs) information.” Article link here.
|  | |
After Scolding by Regulator, National Fuel Renews Campaign Against Gas Transition – Colin Kinniburgh - NY Focus – “After New York Focus revealed last year that National Fuel customers’ gas bills may have been funding a lobbying campaign against banning gas… Regulators concluded that National Fuel had in fact committed some customer funds to lobbying — a practice that is illegal — but that it did so by accident and quickly corrected the errors when notified by the department….In the wake of the DPS investigation, National Fuel, one of the state’s largest gas-only utilities, continues to rally New Yorkers in defense of gas, while the Senate, Assembly, and governor negotiate key provisions in the budget that would accelerate a phaseout of the fossil fuel." Article link here.
|  | |
400 Youth Travel to Albany for Climate Jobs & Justice - Assemblymember Anna Kelles’ Email Newsletter – “Over 400 youth traveled to Albany recently in support of the Climate Jobs and Justice Legislative Package, including the NY HEAT Act, the Just Energy Transition Act (JETA), and Climate Change Superfund Act.” In her remarks at the rally, Kelles said: “We must act now because inaction will be infinitely more costly to our economy, our habitat, and the quality of our lives. In 2023, climate change cost New Yorkers a combined $2.2 billion, and each year that we resist change, the cost of inaction gets higher. This legislative package lays out the plan to combat climate change, includes how to pay for it, and creates the necessary green jobs workforce to enact it.” Click here for a video of Kelles’ comments. Click here for a short video on the rally from NY-Renews.
| |
|
Rewiring America Consortium Awarded $2 Billion to Aid Decarbonization of Homes – “Power Forward Communities, a coalition of some of the country’s most trusted housing, climate, and community investment groups, was awarded a $2 billion, seven-year National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide capital for affordable residential decarbonization throughout the country, with a specific focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. The coalition – led by Enterprise Community Partners, Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity International, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and United Way Worldwide – is purpose-built to transform the housing sector, save homeowners and renters money, invest in stronger communities, and help meet national climate goals." Press release here.
| |
|
Editorial: Berkeley's Backtrack on Gas Ban Won't Stop the Electrification Trend - Los Angeles Times – “But in reality, the East Bay city’s recent settlement with the California Restaurant Assn. is little more than a bump in the road. The transition to all-electric buildings is so well underway that legal obstacles thrown up by the fossil fuel industry and its allies won’t be enough to stop it. The market is already moving away from gas appliances in favor of electric models. And state and local leaders still have a lot of other tools at their disposal to accelerate that trend." Editorial ink here.
| |
|
Vermont May Be First to Establish a Climate Superfund – Manuela Andreoni -NY Times – “…what if governments could simply charge companies for the costs of climate change? These efforts are often described as ‘climate superfunds,’ a reference to the 1980 U.S. law that forced companies to pay for toxic waste cleanup. At least four states are considering versions of these bills, and tiny Vermont may soon be the first state to pass one. The idea behind the Vermont bill is simple: the state would calculate the damage caused by climate change and charge companies according to the share of emissions they produced. Vermont’s Senate passed a measure on Tuesday and it will now head toward a vote in the House, where it has support from at least two thirds of members.” A similar Superfund measure is under consideration as part of NY’s budget deliberations A3351 (Dinowitz) | S2129 (Krueger). Article link here
| |
|
NY Sets New Records for Renewable Electricity Generation – Reuters – “New York recently set new records for hourly wind and solar generation, the state's power grid operator said in a statement on Monday (2024 03 25). 'Wind power facilities generated 2,176 megawatts during the 1 p.m. hour on March 9 and served 12% of system load,' the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) said. It added that behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter solar resources generated 3,832 megawatts during 12 p.m. on March 12 and contributed 21% of system load.” Article link here.
|  | |
Hydrogen Industry Is Split on Weakening Rules – Kari Lydersen, Energy News Network -Power Engineering – “Hy Stor Energy is among the companies that supports proposed rules for a potentially lucrative federal tax credit for ‘green’ hydrogen fuel production. These companies provide a counterpoint to power companies and other industry players who are pressuring the government to relax provisions that demand green hydrogen production does not use existing renewable or nuclear power that would otherwise be used on the grid.” Article link here.
| |
|
Offering Geothermal a Smart Move for HVAC Contractors – Dylan Kurt – Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration (ACHR) The News – “As for the market being hot, Tim Litton, director of marketing communications at WaterFurnace, agrees — WaterFurnace, he said, is coming off two record-breaking years…The enormous role tax credits are playing in the geo revolution also can’t be ignored — with a 30% uncapped federal (credit)… and a plethora of utility rebates, people are starting to cash in…New York, for example, has an additional 25% tax credit on top of the federal. In Maryland…there are energy credits available that literally pay the customer to have geothermal…a Maryland resident could be assigned 40-to-44 credits. Using easy math with 40 credits at $100, that’s $4,000 a year a geo homeowner would get from the utility company simply for having geothermal installed. ‘You'll get a quarterly check for $1,000. Every quarter. For the next 20 years,’ Litton said. ‘It literally not only pays for itself but provides a profit — and that's not even taking into account the 30% tax credit, any utility credits, the energy savings. So in Maryland, it's a no-brainer for the customer.’ ” Article link here.
|  | |
National Grid Temporarily Ups GSHP & ASHP Incentive for Oil &Propane Customers – National Grid email – “Heat Your home with oil or propane? Winter might be over but year-round savings are here to stay. Take advantage of our limited-time (full-load space heating projects installed between April 1 and May 31), extra $500—on top of thousands in additional incentives on heat pump technology. Enjoy next winter without worrying about fuel deliveries or fluctuating costs with high-efficiency electric heat pumps." NGrid’s Electric Heating and Cooling Heat Pumps webpage here.
| |
|
Extreme Floods and Droughts Threaten the Amazon – Daniel Grossman – Inside Climate News – “The current drought provided a grim preview, killing river dolphins and fish, and threatening livelihoods for communities along the river. If the combination of higher highs and lower lows becomes the new norm, the ramifications could extend throughout the Amazon Basin and even beyond, threatening the very existence of the forest—which harbors much of the planet’s biodiversity, has a far-reaching influence over regional and global climate, and sustains millions of people.” Article link here.
|  | |
Happy 90th Jane Goodall ! – Cory Grow – Rolling Stone – “For her 90th birthday on Wednesday, animal rights champion Dr. Jane Goodall has made a video in which she and many famous friends plead for compassion for animals. ‘I’m sure all of you will agree you can’t spend time with an animal and not know that we are not the only beings with personalities, minds, and emotions,’ she says at the beginning of the video.” Article link here.
| |
Heavy CO2 Emitters – Kate Abnett and Riham Alkousaa – Reuters – Per a recent Carbon Majors report, 80 percent of CO2 emissions are from just 57 fossil fuel and cement producers. Saudi Arabian and Russian oil firms and an Indian coal producer topped the list. The report aims to increase transparency around governments and companies causing climate change. A previous edition of the Carbon Majors database was cited last month in a legal case brought by a Belgian farmer against French oil and gas company TotalEnergies. Article link here.
| |
2024 Forecast: Extremely Active Hurricane Season – Jeff Masters – Yale – “Colorado State University’s hurricane forecasting team is calling for a near-record active season with 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes.” Article link here.
| |
Schools Close and Crops Wither as ‘Historic’ Heatwave Hits South-East Asia – Rebecca Ratcliffe – the Guardian – “Thousands of schools in the Philippines have stopped in-person classes due to unbearable heat. In Indonesia, prolonged dry weather has caused rice prices to soar. In Thailand’s waters, temperatures are so high that scientists fear coral could be destroyed…’The level of heat the globe has experienced over the last 12 months, both on the land and in the ocean has surprised science,' said Prof Benjamin Horton, the director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore.” Article link here.
|  | |
****************************************************************************************
"We know from a recent study that every tenth of a degree in temperature rise that we prevent keeps 140 million of our brothers and sisters in habitable zones on this planet. And nothing has changed my basic conviction about the key: we need to keep building huge movements to finally break the political power of the fossil fuel industry and force the emergency conversion to clean energy." —Bill McKibben
| |
You've Got to Be Kidding...
| It Wasn’t Me – Yellow Dot Studios - Video Of ExxonMobil CEO attempting to sidestep the “Polluter Pays” logic behind Climate Superfund bills such as A.3351 (Dinowitz, et al.) | S.2129 (Krueger, et al.). 1-minute video 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 for his work on the briefs.
EVENTS:
*Indicates a New Listing or Updated Information
| |
|
************************************************
NY-GEO 2024 Conferences
Yes, That’s Plural
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 New York State. The programs will include dynamic keynote speakers and panels, educational tracks that are relevant and applicable, and an opportunity to network with exhibitors showcasing products and services that will support and advance your knowledge.
2024 04 08 and 09 – NY-GEO 2024 - Spring Conference - Albany – Once again hosted at the Albany Marriott, we bring together the best of the best in the Geothermal Heat Pump Industry. We will open with an exhibitor mixer on April 8 followed by a full day of programming on the 9th with three concurrent tracks – so something for everyone. Exhibit space is sold out with over 50 companies dedicated to building electrification on hand. For information about the educational sessions, to register or make hotel reservations click here.
Keynotes Announced for NY-GEO 2024 in Albany – At the Albany conference, Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian will give the opening keynote. Alexis McKittrick, Program Manager, Low Temperature and Geothermal, U.S. Department of Energy, will be the lunch keynote presenter. To learn more and register click here.
| |
|
2024 10 21 to 23 – NY-GEO 2024 – Fall Conference – New York City – The New York Brooklyn Bridge Marriott will host a two-day conference with a day of local project site tours, over 40 educational sessions, and the NY-GEO Annual Dinner. This is NY-GEO's first conference Downstate and will emphasize content on how to address densely populated areas and large commercial buildings. To register for NYC and learn more about becoming a sponsor and or exhibitor click here.
NY-GEO Members can attend the conferences at a discounted rate, so now is a good time to renew your membership through 2024. To receive the discounted member rates, employees of your organization must be populated in the member database. Reach out to NY-GEO Executive Director Christine Hoffer at christine@ny-geo.org for assistance.
Not a Member? Click here to Join!
*************************************************
2024 04 10 – IGSHPA Town Hall on Advocacy and Marketing – 11:30 am ET – “The IGSHPA Advocacy and Communications Task Force (ACT) will talk about their efforts in this newly formed task force, formerly the Advocacy committee and Marketing committee, now operating as one joint task force. ACT has declared April as National Geothermal Month, and they would like to discuss how we can raise awareness of the technology." Register here.
*2024 04 10 – What Should NYS Do with $5 Billion for Clean Energy? – Noon ET – New Yorkers for Clean Power - “Did you know that New York has five BILLION dollars to spend on building energy efficiency and electrification over the next five years? That’s far more money than the IRA and Cap and Invest combined. Did you know we can give feedback on how this giant pot of money should be spent? Join us for a Teach-In to learn all about the New Efficiency: New York (NENY) proceeding." Register here.
*2024 04 12 – NY-GEO’s Let’s Talk Session to Focus on Recommendations for NENY Investments – 3:00 pm ET – NY-GEO is holding this special session of its Let’s Talk discussion series to focus on comments due April 15th regarding the New Efficiency: New York (NENY) proceeding that governs utility spending on energy efficiency and electrification. To participate, click here on the 12th at 3:00 and use the password GEO (all caps).
*2024 04 16 – Earth Day Albany Advocacy Day (EDAD) - 9:30am - 4:00pm ET - Clean+Healthy - “Join Clean+Healthy and EDAD co-sponsors as we head to Albany to rally for a variety of environmental justice legislation, including Enhanced and Refundable Geothermal Tax Credits (S8106A/A8588A). We will have meetings with key state legislators to explain to them why environmental justice legislation is critical for the health of our communities. To advocate for S8106A/A8588A, choose the Clean Energy & Climate Justice advocacy track. Co-sponsoring organizations: WE ACT, Sierra Club, NRDC, NYLCV, CCE, Green Inside & Out, EANY, PFOAProject NY, Riverkeeper, Earthjustice, Alliance for Clean Energy NY, Alliance for a Green Economy, Renewable Heat Now, NY Sustainable Business Council, New Yorkers for Clean Power, Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, Newburgh Clean Water Project, New, Standard Institute, Adirondack Council, Seneca Lake Guardian. Learn more and register here.
2024 04 17 – Geo Heat Pump Standards (then and now) – 3:00-4:00 pm ET - California Geo’s next “UNDERGROUND webinar will feature a pair of experienced geo practitioners to share their knowledge and experience. They’ll be covering the changes coming to geo heat pump rating standards; from the current ISO/AHRI 13256-1 to the future AHRI Standard 600. Lisa Meline and Bob Brown will explain this transition and show how it affects an engineer's project preparations.” Register here.
2024 04 18 – Clean Heat Program Stakeholders Meeting – 9:00-10:00 am ET - (Note: Previously scheduled for March 14) The NYS Clean Heat Utility Joint Management Committee (JMC) will host the next quarterly meeting of the Working Group Series for Participating Contractors and Industry Partners. This series is billed as an ongoing platform for contractors and industry partners affiliated with NYS Clean Heat to discuss program improvements and address questions related to the program. Registration link.
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). Conference website here
| |
|
We NEED Your NY-GEO Member Job Postings – Please add any job openings you may have to our NY-GEO Job Listings to gain visibility and help recruit new employees to your organization. This feature is available to all NY-GEO members, simply log into your account, select the NY-GEO Job Listings in the left toolbar, select Add in the upper right, and complete the form. If you need assistance, let us know at christine@ny-geo.org.
The Building Performance Contractors Association (BPCA) Career Center is here.
| |
Ongoing – NYSERDA is hiring! The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has ongoing recruitment opportunities. All qualified individuals will be evaluated for each relevant position for which they apply. Check this page periodically to learn about new career opportunities. | |
Become an NY-GEO Member
NY GEO is the driving force in the mass adoption of Ground Source (Geothermal) Heat Pumps for residential, commercial, and utility-scale heating and cooling in New York State. NY-GEO's mission is to grow the geothermal heat pump industry and develop its workforce while educating policymakers building/property developers and residents about the benefits of geothermal heat pumps.
We are a member-funded, non-profit trade organization and we depend on YOUR SUPPORT to expand the use of clean, renewable, geothermal heating and cooling systems for the benefit
of all.
Learn more about the benefits of becoming an NY-GEO member and why your membership is important to advancing GHP, Click here.
| | | | |
