How Low-Cost Can U.S. Offshore Wind Go? New Study Looks at the Power of Scale in Massachusetts

…As Peter Shattuck and Amy Boyd of the Acadia Center recently put it, this kind of commitment “would place Massachusetts in the slip-stream of declining costs…” that Europe has been achieving…

My Turn: New Hampshire needs to invest in ‘negawatts’

New Hampshire’s cheapest source of energy is not megawatts but “negawatts” – the use of energy efficiency measures to squeeze more work out of each unit of electricity or natural gas we consume…The nonprofit Acadia Center determined last year that during the harsh winter of 2013-2014, wholesale electricity prices in New England would have been 24 percent higher without the effect of ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs…

Support Grows for Electric Car Consumer Rebate in New York

…Earlier this week, automakers, utility companies, and environmental organizations sent a letter of support for the inclusion of a strong electric vehicle (EV) consumer rebate in the budget bill currently being considered by the New York governor and legislature. The unlikely allies came together in support of a consumer rebate for electric vehicles, which was included last week in both the Assembly and Senate budget resolutions. Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie are expected to negotiate a final budget bill this week…Signers of the joint letter include some unlikely allies: the Sierra Club, Acadia Center, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), ChargePoint, Conservation Law Foundation, Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, General Motors…

Westport Lauded as Clean Energy Leader

…The auditorium forum was orchestrated by state Rep. Johnathan Steinberg, who had invited Acadia Center, a nonprofit clean energy advocacy group, to discuss alternative energy advancements over the past decade, plus future efforts…members on tonight’s panel included Jamie Howland, Acadia’s director of energy efficiency and demand side initiative, and Mark Robbins, president of MHR Development, Clean Energy & Infrastructure Solutions…

Energy Waste Worries American Businesses Now

…States play a big role keeping on the pressure to save energy. Governors are taking the long-term economic view. “One of the long-term, state- and region-wide benefits of investing in energy efficiency is that it reduces demand and helps avoid the need to invest in additional infrastructure,” said Jamie Howland, director Acadia Climate and Energy Analysis Center…

Bipartisan cry for net metering shows frustration, garners support

…In April 2015, Acadia Center issued a study of the value of local solar generation in Massachusetts, finding more than 22 cents per kWh of value for ratepayers through reduced energy and infrastructure costs, lower fuel prices, and lowering the cost of compliance with the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas requirements. They contend this value is higher than the current retail rate provided through net metering…

Remaking Connecticut’s Energy System to Embrace Community Energy Agenda

Westport Town Hall Auditorium

March 21, 2016

7:05 pm    Welcome & Introductions Tyler Soleau, Outreach Director, Acadia Center

7:15     Expert SessionHow Community|EnergyVision help Connecticut communities better manage their energy needs?

An emerging revolution in the ways we generate, deliver, and use energy offers new and exciting opportunities to communities and neighborhoods to benefit from local, clean, and efficient energy options.  This panel will explore different aspects of this revolution, including Community|EnergyVision, reforms we can make to our existing and outdated utility model, opportunities and challenges for enabling clean energy projects at the local level, and notable trends and developments in community energy.

Panelists

Jamie Howland, Director, Energy Efficiency & Demand-Side Initiative, Acadia Center

Peter Boyd, Founder & CEO, Time4Good, and Member of the Green Task Force*

Mark Robbins, President, MHR Development, Clean Energy & Infrastructure Solutions

(Moderator:  Tyler Soleau, Outreach Director, Acadia Center)

8:15   Discussion– Expanded discussion and questions from the audience exploring how

Westport and other communities in Connecticut can pursue community energy initiatives.

8:55    Wrap-up & Conclusion

 

*Updated from earlier agenda

100 State Representatives Call for Progress on Solar Legislation

BOSTON, MA – Yesterday evening, a bipartisan group of 100 members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives sent a letter to the three House members that have been appointed to the Conference Committee on solar with the Massachusetts Senate. The letter, whose signers include 19 committee chairs as well as several other members in leadership positions, calls for the Conference Committee to report a bill that:

  • Maintains a strong net metering policy, particularly for community shared solar, municipalities, and projects that benefit low-income ratepayers and affordable housing;
  • Grandfathers existing systems;
  • Reduces costs through reforms to the solar renewable energy certificate (SREC) program; and
  • Raises the net metering caps.

 

“Acadia Center would like to thank House members for speaking up in defense of the demonstrated value of solar energy.” said Daniel L. Sosland, Acadia Center President. “We strongly support all of the concepts raised in the letter. In particular, preserving access to solar for communities and all ratepayers is a key part of the clean energy future for Massachusetts.”

In April 2015, Acadia Center issued a study of the value of local solar generation in Massachusetts, finding more than 22 cents per kWh of value for ratepayers through reduced energy and infrastructure costs, lower fuel prices, and lowering the cost of compliance with the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas requirements. This value is higher than the current retail rate provided through net metering.

Mark LeBel, Staff Attorney at Acadia Center, said: “Acadia Center’s studies and numerous others across the country show that solar provides significant value to ratepayers, major societal benefits, and good local jobs. Any changes to net metering should be based on an official public study of the costs and benefits of solar generation and, until that happens, key project types should be kept at the retail rate. As the legislators rightly note, the place to cut costs is the SREC program. We hope that this petition leads to a prompt result from the Conference Committee that preserves key elements of the Commonwealth’s solar programs and appropriately reduces costs.”

 

Contact:

Mark LeBel, Staff Attorney
mlebel@acadiacenter.org , (617) 742-0054 x104

Kiernan Dunlop, Communications Associate
kdunlop@acadiacenter.org, (617) 742- 0054 x107

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Acadia Center is a non-profit, research and advocacy organization committed to advancing the clean energy future. Acadia Center is at the forefront of efforts to build clean, low-carbon and consumer-friendly economies. Acadia Center provides accurate and reliable information, and offers a real-world and comprehensive approach to problem solving through innovation and collaboration.

CT Power and Energy Society’s Annual Energy, Environment and Development Conference

…Daniel Sosland, president of the Acadia Center, said technology is creating a historic transition in the electric industry. “The question is how fast will we get there. Will markets drive changes? Will policy keep up?” he asked. “The system that we’ve built and has been reliable is a one-way power flow … but in the system we’re building now, the centerpiece is in your community. It’s in your home, it’s in your place of work…”

RGGI Allowance Prices Stabilize as RI Governor is Pushed to Take Lead in Program Review

Member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) today announced the results of the 31st quarterly auction of carbon dioxide (CO2) allowances. 14,838,732 allowances were sold at a clearing price of $5.25. This clearing price is 30% lower than the previous auction, and 3% lower than the clearing price from one year ago. The RGGI states raised $77,903,343 million dollars from Auction 31, and have now raised $2.45 billion for reinvestment since the program began, the majority of which has been used to fund energy efficiency and other consumer benefit programs. RGGI has been a successful model for reducing power sector emissions, and with forward-looking improvements through the 2016 Program Review, RGGI will help member states makes progress toward achieving their long-term emissions reduction commitments.

The secondary market for RGGI allowances has seen significant fluctuation in prices since the last auction, which cleared at a record high price of $7.50 per allowance. After prices climbed as high as $8.50, the market quickly fell to $4.00, followed by a steady rise to Wednesday’s clearing price of $5.25. The sudden drop in allowance prices followed the Supreme Court’s stay of the Clean Power Plan, suggesting that there may have been concerns about the stay’s potential impact on the RGGI market. As with all commodities, RGGI allowances will experience volatility, but RGGI’s future as an established emissions reduction policy and effective market are secure, and the results of Auction 31 show a renewed confidence in RGGI’s future.

“Despite the Supreme Court’s decision to issue a stay on the Clean Power Plan, many states are continuing to develop plans for their clean energy futures,” said Acadia Center President, Daniel Sosland. “Through the 2016 Program Review, the RGGI states have an opportunity to continue demonstrating leadership by establishing ambitious cap levels through 2030.”

The results of this latest auction come as RGGI stakeholders gather today in Rhode Island to discuss the state’s climate plans. Rhode Island, like the rest of the RGGI states, has committed to achieving significant, economy-wide emissions reductions by 2030 (35-45% below 1990 levels in Rhode Island). “In order to meet the state’s 2030 goal, Rhode Island will need to achieve major emissions reductions from the electric sector,” said Jordan Stutt, Policy Analyst at Acadia Center. In a letter sent to Governor Raimondo yesterday, Acadia Center and other stakeholders urged Rhode Island to establish the aggressive RGGI cap levels necessary to meet the state’s economy-wide targets most cost effectively.

“The results of Auction 31 are another page in RGGI’s success story,” said Peter Shattuck, Director of Acadia Center’s Clean Energy Initiative. “The region’s electric sector emissions fell yet again in 2015, while RGGI auctions continue to bring in revenue for reinvestment in energy efficiency and renewable energy, creating jobs and accelerating the transition to a clean energy future.”

Additional information on RGGI’s performance to date, and role in EPA’s regulatory process are described in Acadia Center’s July, 2015 report: RGGI: A Model Program for the Power Sector

RGGI Overview:

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is the first mandatory, market-based effort in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nine Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states reduce CO2 emissions by setting an overall limit on emissions “allowances” which permit power plants to dispose of CO2 in the atmosphere. States sell allowances through auctions and invest proceeds in consumer benefit programs: energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other programs.

The official RGGI web site is: www.rggi.org

 

 

Contact:

Jordan Stutt, Policy Analyst
jstutt@acadiacenter.org, (617) 742-0054 x105

Kiernan Dunlop, Communications Associate
kdunlop@acadiacenter.org, (617) 742- 0054 x107

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Acadia Center is a non-profit, research and advocacy organization committed to advancing the clean energy future. Acadia Center is at the forefront of efforts to build clean, low-carbon and consumer-friendly economies. Acadia Center provides accurate and reliable information, and offers a real-world and comprehensive approach to problem solving through innovation and collaboration.