Acadia Center Releases Its 2021 Annual Report

Today, Acadia Center released its 2021 Annual Report – “Be an Agent of Change” – an interactive microsite that highlights the organization’s 2021 stories of impact and progress and hopes for its future. Acadia Center’s mission is to advance bold, effective, and equitable clean energy solutions for a livable climate and a stronger, more equitable economy. But damaging effects of climate change were unprecedented in 2021. However, also unprecedented was the collective recognition, determination, and willingness to act on climate. This year’s Annual Report outlines Acadia Center’s eagerness to envision bold, systemic solutions, partnered with pragmatic, community-inspired approaches to addressing the climate crisis. 

None of this would be possible without generous individuals and foundations who enthusiastically support Acadia Center’s work. With leadership from our Board of Directors, and our dedicated and passionate staff, we can accelerate the change communities urgently need. Thank you for your unwavering encouragement and partnership. 

Read the full report HERE. 

Heat Pumps in Real Life

Here at Acadia Center, we’re big proponents of air source heat pumps. As we pointed out in EnergyVision 2030, electrifying heating can take a typical New England home from 6-8 tons of GHGs per year to less than one ton, which is why New England needs to electrify at least 10% of its building stock to be on track for 2030 climate goals. Heat pumps work by moving heat, not generating it – so they can be 3-4x as efficient as other heating or cooling sources. As I said in Wirecutter, “a heat pump is probably the biggest thing that consumers can do to help fight the climate crisis.” But even more important than climate, I have young kids, one with asthma, and our carbon monoxide alarm has gone off 3 times in the 9 months we’ve lived in this house. I’m getting anxious about the idea of burning fossil fuels in my house, particularly after reading studies that highlight the potential health impacts.  

So, in early May, I put my money where my big mouth is and electrified my 1880s, gas-boiler-heated house.  For now, we’re keeping the high efficiency boilers in place in case we need them in the next polar vortex, but I’ve already warned my husband that I’m going to fight hard to avoid turning on the fossil fuel system this winter.  Plus, with heat pumps, we got air conditioning just in time to sleep comfortably and cool during the recent heat wave!  

Here’s what I learned from the experience: 

  • Think about what you want beforehand: we don’t have a forced air system (with which you could just drop in a central heat pump) so we went with mini-splits. I knew I wanted to get both heat and air conditioning capacity from the heat pumps, so asked for cold climate heat pumps (to carry us into, and maybe even through, the winter) with a unit in each of our bedrooms and the kitchen for air conditioning capacity. That also let us get rid of the ugly and high energy window units – savings right off the bat. 
  • Think about what you are flexible on: I explained what I wanted, and then asked each vendor how best to get there and got proposals in multiple configurations. Do I need units everywhere, or can the living room/dining room/kitchen blob of doors and walls all get heated and cooled from one unit in the kitchen? (Yes, as it turns out) Can we put a smaller one in our family room over the garage because we also have a wood stove there? (Yes, but the price difference isn’t as much as you’d think, so we went with the big one to ensure enough AC).  
  • Shop Around: I got quotes from 2 local heat pump specialists and one all things HVAC company, and the bids were different enough that I asked a lot of follow up questions did additional research into the different equipment they recommended, why they suggested it, what assumptions they made, and what “goodies” like wifi enablement came with the system.  I went with LG, which was a bit cheaper than the Mitsubishi hyper heat units. Each vendor also offered different financing options, in addition to the Mass Save HEAT loan, with 0% financing on up to $25,000 of efficiency improvements including heat pumps. 
  • Look for incentives: Thanks to MassSave, we got a $10,000 rebate for our whole home system (7 heat pumps in total on 3 compressors). Because I know the MassSave program (I hold a seat on the EEAC), I knew to get my weatherization done first and ask for the right kind of units to ensure that the system I got would qualify for the max incentive. Check out the rebate forms up front to make sure you qualify, too. 
  • Book it ASAP: Heat pumps are a hot market. Once you decide what you want and who you’re going to work with, don’t sit on the idea. I was able to get my install scheduled about a month after I made the call, but I’ve heard wait times are increasing. 
  • Get ready for disruption… mostly outside: I was surprised that it took a full week of long days to get my system up and running, particularly since all the inside work seemed to be completed on day one. The pipes that carry the coolant to the wall units take a lot of planning and work, throughout the house, basement and garage. Then they’ve got to test the lines to make sure the coolant is working and won’t leak out.  
  • Read the manual, ask questions, and learn new tricks: heat pumps have a lot of awesome settings (ionization, energy saving, jet mode, even programmable timers) but it can be complex to figure it out. Plus, the way that you save energy with a heat pump (set it and forget it) is very different than the way you save money with a gas system (though setbacks and catchups). The temperatures you’re used to seeing on the thermostat may also change. I’ve left the unit installed high on the wall in my office set at 76 all week but it’s been a pleasant constant 72 at my desk, in fact almost a little chilly! It silently blows air every now and then (seriously, this thing is QUIET!) and just keeps me cool, no questions asked.     
  • Bolt the remotes to the wall: my brilliant installers thought to put my heat pump remotes in brackets next to the light switches. Now we always know where the remote is – even when my husband was the last one to touch it.  Wonder if that trick would work for the TV, too? 

I’m so happy I made the leap. For me, it was an investment in my home and my family’s quality of life, more so than a chance to save on energy bills. But they’ve sure delivered on that – the heat pumps are so quiet and so effective at cooling. I don’t have a great sense of how much power they’re using (almost want to rent a kill a watt meter from the library to figure it out!) but look forward to seeing my electric bill and evaluating the impact they had, compared to last summer’s window units.   

Look out gas stove. You’re next on the chopping block. 

Connecticut Legislative Update

When the final gavel came down in Hartford on May 4, Connecticut passed historic climate legislation. After 3 years of mediocre to dismal results striving to fight greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and buildings the passage of the Connecticut Clean Air Act was itself a breath of fresh air.  

People from all walks of life came together to make this happen.  True, it took some time, but over the last 2 to 3 years this broad-based human effort has been building, restructuring, changing and growing.  One of the reasons for this success was the comprehensive policy known as the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI).  But TCI went up in flames in 2021, so how could it be responsible for Connecticut’s success this year?   

The people. The people fought to refine the transportation message. They revamped the Transportation Climate Coalition and worked toward tackling emissions. Advocates talked in plain language, and put equity into every message, not as an afterthought or an add-on but as a central framework of all our goals. What was the message that resonated and finally got the attention of legislators?   Climate change is real. Entire communities are becoming permanently sick. Our children can’t get to school safely.  We are unable to afford clean transportation options. Finally, the people were heard, and decision-makers responded. 

 SB 4 – The Connecticut Clean Air Act – was passed. It includes: 

  • Electrification transit buses 
  • Phasing out of diesel school buses for environmental justice communities by 2030, 100% zero-emission and alternative fuel for the state in 2035 and 100% zero-emission by 2040 for the state. 
  • Electric Vehicle rebates: focused on low- and- middle income residents 
  • E- Bike rebates: minimum of $500 for up to $3000 bike 
  • Implementation of the California emission standards on medium-and -heavy duty vehicles 

SB 4 gives Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) the authority to move forward with medium- and heavy-duty vehicle regulations adopted by a growing number of states from coast to coast, including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. This will allow the state to proceed with adoption of various life-saving regulations that address nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution and would put more zero-emission trucks on the road, including the Advanced Clean Trucks rule and the Heavy- Duty Omnibus rule.  

These rules will deliver clean air by deploying more electric trucks and by slashing pollution from diesel trucks currently on the roads. The bill also invests in and transitions the state fleet, transit buses, and school buses to electric, introduces consumer e-bike rebates, and expands access to electric vehicle charging. 

This bill encompassed many of the goals of TCI and boldly put equity front and center.  The coalition of people brought together 2 to 3 years ago reached back into the communities and said, “join us now, together we can do this.” And the people did.  Real momentum built and the legislative champions were emboldened.  People started to see the path forward. Decision makers were out of the building riding e- bikes and driving EVs.  How does this make a difference? Because talking directly to each other…. on the grass, outside the halls for the capital, creates an environment where all are heard and everyone was learning and listening.  The time for meaningful climate change policy was within reach. 

Acadia Center is proud and honored to have helped create this victory in Connecticut.  Acadia Center uses our data and research to make the case for good policies to be passed. The case is made with modeling, analysis, research, and dissemination of important and compelling reports to decision-makers who can vote to change the status quo. The community, advocates, and legislators worked together to make a difference.    

Other significant legislation that passed the 2022 session  

Bills Transmitted to the Governor

 

 

 

 

The Climate Minute Podcast: Assembling the puzzle pieces for green and reliable electricity

Melissa Birchard, Senior Regulatory Attorney with Acadia Center participates in The Climate Minute podcast for Mass Climate Action Network. Listen to the episode here.

Maine Legislative Update

Maine policymakers wrapped up its two-year 130th Legislature in May 2022, completing one of the “most productive environmental and energy legislatures in more than 30 years,” according to one environmental advocate.

During the first year, Acadia Center wrote and championed legislation requiring the Maine Public Utilities Commission to include achieving the state greenhouse gas reduction targets as a primary mission. The bill opened the door for state agencies to take actions that consider equity and environmental justice goals in all state policy, programmatic, and regulatory decisions. Maine implemented key Climate Action Plan goals like eliminating HFCs, promoting offshore wind, setting appliance standards, and increasing weatherization funding; expanded electrification for building heating and transportation; and bills to incentive renewables, energy storage, microgrids, and other non-wires alternatives in Maine’s electricity grid.

With such a successful 2021, we expected 2022 to involve smaller-scale wins – but we had some big ones, too. Legislators passed bills to protect and conserve natural lands and waters and carbon storage opportunities. They enacted legislation to ensure renewable energy project siting is streamlined and transparent and avoids negative impacts to natural resources, including agricultural lands and forests. Policymakers funded climate education for schools, students; and teachers; established a Climate Corp for workforce development and energy projects; mandated carbon neutrality in Maine by 2045; made zoning and land use changes to increase affordable, efficient housing opportunities; set targets for electric vehicle fleet procurement in schools and towns; and provided tax incentives for clean energy projects, such as energy storage and energy-efficient buildings.

Acadia Center and its partners also took the lead on two substantial steps forward toward a clean energy future that benefits everyone.

  1. LD 1959 – An Act Regarding Utility Accountability and Grid Planning for Maine’s Clean Energy Future. Governor Mills introduced this bill in early 2022 to hold Maine’s electric utilities accountable to ratepayers for their performance. For months, Acadia Center worked with the Governor’s Office, legislators, the Public Advocate, environmental groups, and others to improve the bill. Acadia Center introduced language that implements the first half of our RESPECT plan – conducting comprehensive, all-fuels planning through a process involving stakeholder review and transparency. In the end, LD 1959 represents considerable progress in holding utilities accountable and initiating serious integrated grid planning for a reliable, clean, and affordable electricity grid, whether its investor or consumer owned utilities who are distributing the electrons through the wires. In an era of sky-high electricity prices and climate pollution, legislators chose not to leave Augusta without holding the state’s two utility-owned investors, Central Maine Power and Versant, accountable for their future performance and impacts on ratepayers. Instead, they embraced an all-encompassing, long-term, strategic grid planning process to modernize Maine’s electricity and engaging all stakeholders in designing, building, and operating a clean energy grid of the future. This was one of the most significant climate accomplishments of this legislative session.
  2. LD 2018 – An Act to Implement Recommendations Regarding the Incorporation of Equity Considerations in Regulatory Decision Making. This bill was a direct result of Acadia Center’s 2021 bill requiring the Governor’s Office to evaluate equity considerations in state-government decision making. It makes PUC proceedings more accessible to Maine people and requires the PUC to develop an environmental justice plan; requires the DEP to adopt rules establishing procedures to ensure that persons in environmental justice populations and frontline communities are provided with fair and equitable access to the department’s decision-making processes; and establishes definitions for “environmental justice,” “frontline communities” and related terminology. LD 2018 moves Maine forward in its commitment to environmental justice and a clean and safe carbon-neutral economy that benefits all people.

Acadia Center is already looking forward to 2023 and hopes to keep pushing to make this decade count for utility business model innovation, clean transportation, clean heating and next generation energy efficiency, grid modernization and transmission, offshore wind, and more.

D.P.U. 20-80 (Future of Gas)

Back in June of 2020, Attorney General Maura Healey posed the question to the Department of Public Utilities – how does the business model of natural gas distribution utilities (or LDCs, as they’re called in industry parlance) need to change in order to allow the state to meet its climate goals of net zero by 2050?  The resulting proceeding, D.P.U. Docket 20-80, Investigation by the Department of Public Utilities on its own Motion into the role of gas local distribution companies as the Commonwealth achieves its target 2050 climate goals, is also known as the Future of Gas. In the last year, there have been several developments in the docket, including stakeholder input on scenarios and models produced by hired consultants, the LDCs developing Net Zero Enablement Plans based upon those models, and a comment period opened by the D.P.U. on alternative regulatory proposals. Acadia Center has been actively involved since the stakeholder process began in May 2021, and recently submitted comments in response to this request from the Department.

Modeling Issues

Acadia Center found multiple troubling flaws in the Energy and Environmental Economics (E3) analysis that underpinned the LDCs’ regulatory proposals. Ultimately, the LDCs asked the Department to adopt a lot of regulatory changes in line with the Efficient Gas and Hybrid Electrification scenarios that rely heavily on using “renewable” natural gas, hydrogen, and synthetic natural gas in LDC pipelines. But these scenarios that rely heavily on alternative gases are likely to emit far more GHG emissions, cost ratepayers billions more, and be far more difficult to implement than assumed in E3’s study. The difference between E3’s modeling assumptions and the expert consensus on topics including the GHG intensity of RNG, future availability of alternative fuel supplies, and the future cost of alternative fuels is so significant that it calls into question many of the conclusions – and the LDCs’ regulatory proposals to use these fuels in their pipes. Finally, even if RNG, SNG, and hydrogen can feasibly be used to perpetuate use of the LDCs’ systems into the future, as a policy matter, they should not be.

Fundamentally, the transition should center on technologies that we know are safe, effective, and available – in other words, electrification through air- and ground-source heat pumps and geothermal technologies. The Department should not begin to introduce gas alternatives into pipelines that serve consumers’ homes and businesses without substantial additional research into safety and health impacts. This docket is not just about scenarios, regulations, costs, and carbon. It’s also about how the people of the Commonwealth will be kept warm and safe by their government and trusted utilities in 2050 and beyond. We know that the use of methane (either natural gas or RNG) in homes, especially in cooking, is far more harmful to occupants’ health than previously understood. We know that hydrogen is a highly combustible fuel that poses a significant safety risk in the context of residential and commercial buildings. The Department must, as one of its first obligations, keep consumers and the Commonwealth safe. Pursuant to the precautionary principle, it is better to wait until RNG, SNG, and hydrogen technologies’ use indoors are firmly understood before we begin even pilots that allow them to be introduced in pipelines at the concentrations contemplated by the LDCs.

Acadia Center Proposal

As an overarching theme to Acadia Center’s comments, decarbonizing the economy of Massachusetts, and particularly our buildings, is not optional. We cannot fail. Nor can we afford to wait and put off decisions to future generations, especially given the rapid pace of climate change already observable in Massachusetts.  The transition may be expensive – but the cost is insignificant compared to the cost of the climate crisis itself.

This transition will require all players – utilities, regulators, government, businesses, advocates, and customers – to pull together and work towards a common purpose. It requires a strong central authority to keep everyone working together, and not at cross purposes. Acadia Center’s regulatory proposal follows our RESPECT concepts. RESPECT is an idea for utility planning reform that rests upon the idea that states should:

  • 1) conduct independent and comprehensive distribution system planning that incorporates meaningful stakeholder input, including voices that have been ignored to date; and
  • 2) separate “planners” and “owners” by creating a separate, neutral planning entity that is designed to look for solutions beyond utility boundaries and across fuels.

Acadia Center believes that an independent planning authority, responsible for coordinated planning to electrify and decarbonize, would be the best option for the Commonwealth to achieve its ambitious net zero greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements, and would avoid the problems seen thus far in letting the LDCs propose their own future.

For more information:

Kyle Murray, Senior Policy Advocate-Massachusetts, kmurray@acadiacenter.org 617-742-0054 x106

What’s the state of climate change legislation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?

Where we are now

Massachusetts has long positioned itself as a leader in the fight against climate change, with country-leading programs in energy efficiency and ambitious net-zero greenhouse gas reduction targets set in landmark legislation that passed in 2021. But with the climate crisis accelerating, Massachusetts can’t just rest on its laurels. The Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives have each passed climate bills with differing proposals to tackle the crisis, ranging from large investments in offshore wind to enhanced rebates for electric vehicles. This blog will highlight what was in both packages and what steps need to happen before July 31st, the end of formal sessions for the legislature.

The House climate package largely focused broadly on offshore wind. The bill did not increase procurement authorization for the Commonwealth, instead aiming to develop the industry. This legislation:

  • Creates the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund
  • Requires the development of a Grid Modernization Advisory Council and requires electric distribution companies to develop grid modernization plans and submit them to the council
  • Requires the Department of Energy Resources to solicit and procure proposals for offshore wind transmission and requires the state to collaborate regionally on those procurements

The House Committee proposal was strengthened through the amendment process, delivering better protections on environmental justice, a proposal on fishing mitigation, and an allowance for federal funding for transmission procurement.

The Senate proposal, passed a month later, was significantly broader than the House’s, focusing on the transportation and building sectors in addition to clean energy. The Senate legislation:

  • Transportation
    • Focuses on increasing EV adoption through increasing rebates, creating a stable trust fund, and investing in charging stations
    • Requires electrification of the MBTA bus fleet by 2040
  • Buildings
    • Limits the use of Mass Save funds for new fossil fuel equipment
    • Creates a 10-municiaplity demonstration project allowing all-electric building construction by local option
    • Requires a mandatory adjudicatory process in DPU docket 20-80 (the Future of Gas)
  • Clean power generation
    • Prevents biomass facilities from receiving state clean energy incentives
    • Creates a $100 million Clean Energy Investment Fund,
    • Updates the offshore wind procurement process,
    • Supports solar power

This legislation was also enhanced through the amendment process. Several of the most impactful amendments that were accepted were Acadia Center priorities. These amendments included policies to:

  • Set a floor of 10,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035
  • Require utilities to report the total amounts of natural gas and electricity used by each large building in the Commonwealth
  • Require the MBTA to develop short-term, mid-term, and long-term plans for the electrification of all commuter rail lines
  • Requires DEP to install air monitors in 8 pollution hotspots and to set baseline air quality standards in hotspots
  • Require utilities to submit proposals for rate credits or rebates for off-peak charging to supports EV

So what’s next?

Now that each house has passed a different bill, the next step will be the appointment of a Conference Committee. The goal of a Conference Committee is for the two legislative bodies to hash out their differences on policy and come to consensus on a single piece of legislation to send to the Governor to sign. Sometimes the Conference Committees essentially mash up the two disparate policies into one amalgam, resolving minor difference along the way. More often, however, the negotiators will play hardball, trading concession for concession and whittling down the original pieces of legislation. On Thursday, May 5th, the House named House TUE Chair Jeff Roy, along with Representative Tackey Chan and Minority Leader Brad Jones to the Conference Committee. The Senate followed suit quickly, appointing Senate TUE Chair Michael Barrett, along with Senator Cynthia Creem and Minority Leader Bruce Tarr.

Nothing precludes either branch from acting on additional legislation. However, given recent history, with the legislature opting for a single omnibus package over various disparate legislation, it is likely that the final climate package for the 2021-2022 legislative session will largely resemble some of the components of these bills. Therefore, Acadia Center asks that during these negotiations legislators should see these existing policies as top priorities:

  • Development of a Grid Modernization Advisory Council that would give stakeholders a say in the future of the grid
  • Procuring at least 10,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035
  • Enhanced Incentives for EVs and investment in charging stations
  • Investment in regional energy transmission procurement
  • Large building energy use reporting
  • Air monitoring and air quality standards

In addition to these policies that were in the original legislation, Acadia Center also believes that using ARPA funds to repair health and safety issues in buildings that stop efficiency and electrification and redirecting some EV funds towards transportation mode shifting are essential to meeting our Commonwealth’s ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets and doing our part to confront the climate crisis.

For more information:

Kyle Murray, Senior Policy Advocate-Massachusetts, kmurray@acadiacenter.org, 617-742-0054, ext. 106

Inspiring Climate Action

When the film “Don’t Look Up” was released in December 2021 it got a big reaction from a group who usually don’t do film reviews – climate scientists. The film tells the story of two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy human civilization, but it felt incredibly close to home for those who had been entrenched in climate work. Here at Acadia Center the film prompted a spirited discussion including favorite lines from the film (“Keep it simple. No math.” “…but it’s all math”). But the big takeaway for the Acadia Center team, and for climate scientists at large, was a feeling of painful recognition – we know the “comet” is coming, but how can we encourage people to act?

Inspiring climate action and gaining support for work that is often technical and slow has been a challenge since “global warming” first came to the mainstream in the 1980s. However, as action is more urgently needed, new techniques for communicating about the crisis are emerging. In 2005 Yale founded its Program on Climate Communication and starting in 2008 that program has produced reports on “The Six Americas”, which breaks down the attitudes of Americans when it comes to climate change into six groups: “Alarmed, “Concerned,” “Cautious,” “Disengaged,” “Doubtful” and “Dismissive.”

From when the surveys began in 2008 until as recently as 2015 “Alarmed” was the second smallest group. However, over the last few years there has been a rapid growth in “Alarmed,” with that segment growing by 15% between 2017 and 2021 to 33% of the total audience. About six in ten Americans (59%) are either Alarmed or Concerned, while only about 2 in 10 (19%) are Doubtful or Dismissive.

So, how does this new awareness transform into action and financial support for climate advocacy, especially in a time of upheaval in the fundraising world? The Covid-19 pandemic completely changed the fundraising world in 2020, with many people giving to new organizations for the first time. The Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s (FEP) quarterly fundraising report for 2021 Q4 found that although major donors are being retained from 2020, recapture rates for past donors are down about 19% industry-wide, underlining the importance of keeping every donor engaged and excited about the work. On the other hand, organizations focused on “Environment and Animals” saw large year-over-year gains, reflecting Yale’s finding that more Americans are “Alarmed” about climate change and looking for a way to help.

Acadia Center is an organization that thrives on data, and we are excited to use these findings from Yale and FEP in our 2022 communication and individual giving strategy. Currently, we are working on a new newsletter that will give supporters an in-the-weeds and behind-the-scenes look at the work Acadia Center staffers are doing to advance bold and equitable climate solutions on the local, state, and regional level. Keep an eye out in the next year for more webinars with Acadia Center staff, more blogs and resources on our website, and more opportunities to learn about exciting climate change solutions.

Every individual’s support matters in the fight for a sustainable world, and together we can make the change that seems so impossible in films like “Don’t Look Up.” As the star of that film, Leonardo DiCaprio said, “It is incumbent upon all of us, all of you, activists, young and old, to please get involved…The planet can no longer wait, the underprivileged can no longer be ignored. This is truly our moment for action. Please take action.”

 

SOURCES:

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, Global Warming’s Six Americas, September 2021

Fundraising Effectiveness Project, Fourth Quarter Fundraising Report, 2021

The Climate Minute Podcast: Demystifying FERC, ISO-NE, NESCOE and NEPOOL

Melissa Birchard, Senior Regulatory Attorney with Acadia Center participates in a Climate Minute podcast interview for Mass Climate Action Network. Listen to the episode here.

LWVMA Climate and Energy Solutions Series- Barriers to Regional Decarbonization Webinar

Regional cooperation is essential to meeting our clean energy goals. The road to decarbonization faces challenges from long-established regional rules that favor fossil fuel interests and stand in the way of clean energy.

Acadia Center’s Melissa Birchard, Senior Regulatory Attorney, delivered a webinar on behalf of the League of Women Voters- MA and Elder’s Climate Alliance-MA on the basics of regional energy issues.

Form more information about this series please visit the League of Women Voters-MA website. A recording of the webinar is available for viewing here.