4 things to know about the state-led push for underwater transmission
North Atlantic states are weighing an offshore transmission “backbone” that would support a massive boom of wind farms critical to the nation’s climate goals.
The upsides could be huge — both in efficiency and cost. An ocean corridor of high-voltage power lines would smooth the way for wind turbines to connect to the electric grid, allowing states from Maine to New Jersey to more easily add new clean energy.
A coordinated grid for offshore wind could also jump-start the “macro grid,” a high-voltage spider web of electricity lines that advocates say is needed as the country shifts away from fossil fuels.
Daniel Sosland, president of the Acadia Center, an environmental group in New England, said the federal government could help relieve friction between states and developers over cost and ownership of power lines.
“There’s a kind of parochialism that sets in,” he said. “Whereas if the government starts a planning process, the states get organized to get resources, [and] it’s more of a government-oriented public interest.”
Offshore wind transmission is certainly in the public interest, he added. It could also alleviate the congested interconnections among the three regional grids that provide power in the eight North Atlantic states.
By 2035, for example, New England and New York may need to double their interregional transfer capacity, or how much power can flow from one region to another, according to a recent draft report from DOE.
“I think we’re on the verge of seeing all the pieces come together,” Sosland said.
To read the full article on E&E News, click here.
Environmental Groups File Lawsuit to Keep VA in RGGI
Several environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to keep Virginia in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
In June, Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Board voted to remove the state from the initiative, for which Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republicans in the General Assembly have striven.
The lawsuit alleges the board did not have the authority to remove Virginia since lawmakers voted to put the state in the initiative in 2020. Activists rallied across the state on Monday to keep Virginia in.
An Acadia Center report found initiative auctions generated more than $523 million for Virginia, since March 2021, a yearly average of around $262 million. The funds have supported state level flood resilience efforts and funding low-income energy efficiency programs.
To read the full article from Public News Service, click here.
Heat Pump Program Receives $25M Boost
PROVIDENCE — There’s good news for folks seeking to electrify their homes and adopt heat pumps this winter: state officials this week are expected to announce the last of a new incentive program to tackle home heating emissions.
The program, dubbed Clean Heat RI by the Office of Energy Resources (OER), provides an additional $25 million to the state’s existing suite of heat pump incentives to spur early adoption of the climate-friendly technology in homes and businesses around the state. At least 40% of the funds, which are allocated from federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, are earmarked for incentives for underserved communities in compliance with federal guidelines set by the federal Department of Energy.
A 2020 report from Acadia Center, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to climate and renewable energy solutions, estimates switching a home from heating oil to a heat pump reduces the equivalent emissions of taking dozens of cars off the road for a year. Over the lifespan of the equipment, a home can reduce its emissions by 58 metric equivalent tons.
To read the full article from EcoRI, click here.
The legal battle over whether Virginia can withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative begins
As promised, the Southern Environmental Law Center this week sued Virginia to stop it from withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Virginia joined that 11-state partnership in 2021, during the Northam administration. The initiative’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capping the amount of carbon pollution that electric companies can emit. Basically, power companies have to buy permits for every ton of carbon they emit, and if they exceed their permitted amounts they are fined.
RGGI was around for more than a decade before Virginia joined. And during that decade, a study by the environmental advocacy group Acadia Center showed that power plants in the nine states initially involved cut their emissions nearly in half. And according to the Southern Environmental Law Center’s suit, emissions from Virginia’s power plants dropped 16.8% in the two years we’ve been involved.
To read the full article from Charlottesville Tomorrow, click here.
Businesses charting more active course in combating climate change
Business action to meet climate goals is essential to mitigation and adaptation solutions, whether by investing in their operations, producing clean and sustainable products and services, or supporting climate policies. Yet businesses still face barriers to action because of capacity constraints on financial, human, information, or other resources. Small businesses in particular need specialized attention and support. They don’t have the resources to focus on climate change, even though many potential strategies could save them time and money.
New England plays an impressive role on the world climate stage, with an increasingly engaged business community collaborating with others to resolve conflicts at the intersection of climate and the economy (“Utilities, businesses changing their tune: Shift appears in approach to climate concerns,” Page A1, Aug. 24). An Acadia Center official’s attempt to be “blunt” in saying that “the business community will go where they see an opportunity to make money” is outdated. It returns us to the environment vs. economy adversarial roles prevalent in past environmental and business groups’ relationships.
To read the full article in the Boston Globe, click here.
Gas Car Showdown: The People vs Special Interest Groups
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) held a public hearing on Tuesday (Aug. 22) about Gov. Ned Lamont’s announcement: that Connecticut will join fifteen other states that conform to California’s emission standards rather than federal emission standards set by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
Last year, California unveiled plans to discontinue the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, after which all new vehicle sales will be zero-emission vehicles, with a focus on electric vehicles (EV). According to a Connecticut law passed in 2004, DEEP’s commissioner shall adopt and amend emission regulations implemented by the Golden State.
During the four-hour meeting, DEEP heard from various special interest groups — including those that will profit from the ban — argue that these regulations are needed to save the planet.
Advocates from environmental groups such as Acadia Center, Citizens Climate Lobby and Save the Sound spoke in support promising a cleaner atmosphere, lower asthma rates and job creation.
To read the full article from Yankee Institute, click here.
Once seen as opponents to climate action, utilities and the business community are making changes. Is that a sign the tides are turning?
As state officials and climate advocates have tried to push forward with major climate initiatives, powerful forces, including gas utilities and prominent business organizations, have for years worked to delay or undermine them.
Now, in a boon for climate action, that appears to be changing.
As business opportunities in a burgeoning clean economy grow, two influential lobbying groups now have leaders with strong environmental credentials. Meanwhile, a prominent business group parted ways with an executive who had represented gas interests, and the state’s two largest utilities have made moves that advocates believe could lead them to deemphasize their fossil fuel based operations.
Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director at the clean energy advocacy group Acadia Center, who has observed the changes happening across the state’s business community, said they are driven less by the escalating urgency of the climate crisis than by a growing sense of economic opportunity.
“To be blunt about it, the business community will go where they see an opportunity to make money,” he said. “The green transition is providing a ton of jobs and a ton of new investments.”
To read the full article from the Boston Globe, click here.
Concerns over pollution, costs for CT’s phase out of gas-powered cars
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) heard public comment from lawmakers, organizations and the general public over Gov. Ned Lamont’s announcement that Connecticut would begin phasing out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles beginning in 2027.
Connecticut is one of sixteen states that adhere to California’s emission standards as opposed to federal emission standards. California last year announced they would no longer allow the sale of new gasoline powered vehicles by 2035, and, instead, all new vehicle sales would have to be zero emission vehicles, particularly electric vehicles.
Representatives from environmental organizations like Save the Sound, the Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists and Acadia Center all testified that Connecticut’s adoption of these emission standards will lead to less pollution in the air, fewer asthma deaths, more jobs to build out the infrastructure for EV’s and help combat climate change.
To read the full article, click here.
New Jersey environmentalists launch campaign to raise energy awareness
Organizations from around New Jersey have joined together to form Clean Energy Action Now (CLEAN), a campaign dedicated to increasing awareness of the health, economic, and climate benefits of an equitable clean energy future.
The New Jersey environmental advocates launched the campaign to raise awareness of the health, economic, and climate benefits of an equitable clean energy future for New Jersey and to counter lies propagated by the fossil fuel industry.
An Attempt to Enhance Energy Efficiency in Connecticut’s Underserved and Overburdened Communities, Community Expertise, and Climate Advocate Urges
In an area of the country with the oldest housing stock, the highest 25% of emitting homes make up a disproportionate amount – well over 50% – of the residential on-state climate emissions. High emitting homes in Connecticut are not likely weatherized and are more often located in low-income communities and communities of color. High-emitting housing units are also more likely to pose serious health risks. Hazards such as asbestos, mold, lead, vermiculite, and knob and tube wiring, among others, are substantial barriers to retrofitting and energy efficiency upgrades.
At the tail end of Connecticut’s 2023 legislative session, Connecticut’s General Assembly passed H.B. No. 6942. Sections 90 and 91 of H.B. No. 6942 set out the guidance to establish a $125M “Housing Environmental Improvement Revolving Loan Fund” through the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Housing. Effective July 1, 2024, $75M will be available in a to provide low-interest financing for retrofits projects of multifamily residences in environmental justice communities that improve energy efficiency and building shell weatherization. Potential projects include but are not limited to, the installation of heat pumps, solar power generating systems, improved roofing, doors, windows, and any electric system or wiring upgrades necessary for such retrofit. The pilot program(s) will also prioritize upgrades that include the remediation of health and safety concerns such as mold, vermiculite, asbestos, etc. They will prioritize upgrades on non-owner-occupied units and units where residents or prospective residents are low-income. H.B. No. 6942 calls attention to engaging residents and owners to assist with participation and implementation. This is especially important as Tenaya Taylor, Executive Director at Nonprofit Accountability Group wrote, “…when people do take the time to find out about energy efficiency programs, complete the burdensome paperwork and get in touch with and convince their landlords to sign off on an application, too often the promised upgrades do not materialize.”
A report by DEEP on the program’s success is expected by October 2027 and will provide any recommendations for a permanent program and any subsequent legislation. The pilot program(s) will run until September 30, 2028.
The pilot program(s) outlined in H.B. No. 6942 align with Acadia Center’s Next Generation Energy Efficiency challenge priorities which aim to address: 1) sub-standard housing quality, 2) climate mitigation, 3) clean heating and whole-house electrification, and 4) sustaining investments in efficiency. Acadia Center will continue collaborating with coalition partners, the Lamont Administration, and community leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while accelerating energy justice.
The Housing Environmental Improvement Loan Fund is an important step towards improving energy efficiency in overburdened and underserved communities. Climate advocates around Connecticut are calling for urgent, collaborative, and transparent action to “reestablish Connecticut as a true climate leader.” Through this process, community knowledge and expertise must be supported, centered, and valued as “the fight for housing justice and the fight for energy justice are the same fight.” Acadia Center will continue to play an active role in advancing energy efficiency efforts in Connecticut while enhancing outreach and engagement efforts to drive action on climate and energy justice.
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