"We have a great lineup for the Federal & Regional Energy Affairs Office's Advanced Transmission Technologies forum on July 17th!
Industry experts from @ISONewEngland, @NationalGridMA, and @EversourceMA will discuss the integration of ATTs* in NE.
Register: https://t.co/bNc18nFr3K or https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y_iVDXMnThKRoGKaQEtnRQ#/registration
Shared from -> https://t.co/P5FlVwIuLk
*ATT = Advanced Transmission Technologies"THE LONG-AWAITED electrification of the New England economy is starting to happen.From 1995 to 2005, the demand for electricity produced by the region’s power grid steadily increased, growing nearly 21 percent as the New England economy expanded and homeowners and businesses installed air conditioning units at a rapid clip.From 2005 until 2023, however, demand for power from the grid slid 16 percent. Modest growth in electricity consumption was more than offset by growth in energy efficiency savings and solar installations, both of which reduced demand for power from the grid.Now, according to a new study by grid operator ISO New England, the pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction. Demand for power from the grid is expected to grow by more than 17 percent over the next 10 years, as electrification of vehicles and home heating drives up consumption, more than offsetting growth in energy efficiency and solar installations."
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| CommonWealth Beacon: "Big electricity shift coming: Are we ready?" |
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| Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - Agenda for meeting Dec 13, 2023 |
"Each year, the federal Energy Information Agency publishes a winter fuels outlook, forecasting how much households using different fuels will pay for heat from November through March. This year, it says heating-oil customers will face the steepest costs, at $1,856; followed by propane users, at $1,337; electricity users, at $1,063; and finally gas users, at just $605.But that number doesn’t distinguish between older electric-resistance appliances, such as electric baseboard heaters and electric space heaters – which are much more expensive to run – and highly efficient electric heat pumps.“Both run on electricity, but they’re fundamentally different machines,” said Wael Kanj, a research associate at Rewiring America. “It’s like averaging the top speed of a Power Wheels [toy car] and a Tesla.”
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| Electric heat costs way less than reports say, new data suggests | Technology | The Guardian |
"Wu’s decision not to apply for the program came as a surprise to environmental advocates and legislators who have been trying to move the state away from heating and cooling new structures with fossil fuels. Constructing buildings that are only powered by electricity is considered among the low-hanging fruit of plans to decarbonize. Buildings account for roughly 70 percent of Boston’s greenhouse gas emissions.The decision marks an abrupt departure from the mayor’s recent statements, delivered in press conferences and radio interviews, that the city intended to participate in the program and lead by example.Wu said, “it breaks my heart,” but that the city was not applying for the state program because it appears it was not actually intended for a city as complex as Boston, with its large population and already-strained electric grid. She said she had gotten “clear indications that Boston would not be chosen for the one available spot.”Maria Hardiman, a spokesperson for the state Department of Energy Resources, said the challenge for Boston is that it’s “electrically similar” — meaning the age of the infrastructure and demands on the system are comparable — to several other cities or towns that have already been selected for the program, including Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, and Arlington. Those similarities “would have presented a challenge in the selection process” because the pilot program is aimed at getting data from a diverse group of communities."
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| Boston Globe: "Boston’s plan to ban fossil fuels in new buildings goes up in smoke" |
“I use a dehumidifier in my basement. Because it uses a compressor, it uses significant electricity while running. I found this out by borrowing a Kill A Watt Monitor from the Franklin Public Library "Library of Things" collection.
There are two major ways to use it: 1) Press the "Watt" button to find out real-time usage (in this case about 500 watts) when the unit is on; 2) use the KWH or killawatt hour button to see how much energy is used over time. The library lets you borrow this device for 3 weeks.
I ran my humidifier for 2 weeks and doubled the KWH to get a rough energy usage per month. I bought a new dehumidifier and will be saving electricity and using it year-round, now that it rarely needs to come on during the heating season to keep humidity at a healthy level below 60%. (Please note that the Franklin Library only has a partial list of things on their website, and at the time of writing did not include the TOOLS KILL A WATT MONITOR.)
My old dehumidifier was 20+ years old. My next project will be to see how much electricity my 20+ year old refrigerator uses.”
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| borrowing a Kill A Watt Monitor from the Franklin Public Library "Library of Things" collection |
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| Municipal Aggregation Program |
Please refer to the following resources for more detailed information:
For questions regarding billing or enrollment status, residents and business owners must contact Dynegy Energy Services directly by calling (866) 220-5696 or by visiting colonialpowergroup.com/franklin.
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/town-franklins-municipal-aggregation-program-update
The Franklin Community Choice Power Supply Program (also referred to as Municipal Aggregation) has successfully saved ratepayers an estimated 11.5 million dollars in electricity costs throughout the previous three-year contract. In an effort to continue to stabilize electricity costs and lower carbon emissions, Franklin has signed a new 24-month contract with energy consultant Colonial Power Group and renewable electricity supplier Dynegy Energy Services to continue to manage and supply its electricity program for all residents in Franklin.
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| Franklin Secures Stable Electricity Rate Through Renewal of Utility Relief Program |
Consumers actively enrolled in Franklin's Community Choice Power Supply Program will receive a postcard. It contains information regarding the new rate + term along with a notice regarding automatic enrollment. Check your mailbox for a postcard from the Town of Franklin c/o Colonial Power, which will be mailed (to existing participating Consumers only) late September 2023.
"In these challenging fiscal times, this new contract represents a continued commitment to help stabilize electricity bills for ratepayers during this period of high inflation for all residents and small businesses," said Jamie Hellen, Franklin Town Administrator. "Also, as a certified Green Community, I know many Franklin residents are concerned about our carbon footprint. This electricity program has allowed us to reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources and decrease our carbon emissions by securing a contract that relies on 100% wind renewable energy."
The Franklin Community Choice Power Supply Program, is an electricity aggregation program that allows a municipality to purchase electricity in bulk on behalf of its residential and small business customers. The goal of municipal aggregation is to stabilize energy costs, achieve more affordable pricing and deliver savings over the life of the program against National Grid Basic Service, reduce the community's carbon footprint, and enhance local control in its energy purchasing. To date 10,260 meters are participating in the program and Franklin ratepayers have saved a combined $11.5 million through March 31, 2023.
Franklin Community Choice Program customers currently enrolled in the program will not need to re-enroll or do anything to continue to participate. Residents and business owners are eligible to opt-in or opt-out of the program at will, and those currently not enrolled in the program will need to enroll if interested in participating. There are no fees for enrollment or cancellation, however, residents and business owners with a supplier block on their account must contact National Grid to request that the block be removed to participate in Franklin's Community Choice Power Supply program, and anyone switching from a contract with a third-party supplier may be subject to penalties or early termination fees charged by that supplier. Ratepayers should verify terms before switching.
Basic Service rates change twice a year or more, depending on rate class. As a result, the aggregation rate may not always be lower than the Basic Service rate. The goal of the aggregation is to deliver savings over the life of the program against National Grid Basic Service. However, such savings and future savings cannot be guaranteed.
As a Green Community since 2018, the Town of Franklin aims to help displace fossil fuel generation and consumption. The Franklin Community Choice Power Supply Program aligns well with the community's renewable energy program, which utilizes 100% National Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
For questions regarding billing or enrollment status, residents and business owners must contact Dynegy Energy Services directly by calling (866) 220-5696 or by visiting colonialpowergroup.com/franklin.
Learn more about the Town of Franklin's Community Choice Power Supply Program at www.franklinma.gov/MunicipalAg.
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/franklin-secures-stable-electricity-rate-through-renewal-utility-relief-program
"BAY STATE and many New England policymakers breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday after a jury in Maine voted 9-0 to green light the completion of a Massachusetts-financed transmission line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec into New England.
The transmission line and the power it will carry are of pivotal importance if Massachusetts is going to reach its climate change goals, but the project has been in legal limbo since 2021 when 59 percent of Maine voters approved a ballot question that retroactively killed it."
Continue reading the article online ->
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/maine-jury-delivers-hydro-relief-for-mass/
Boston pitches libraries, affordable housing as perfect match
"In three Boston neighborhoods, home could soon be where the stacks are.Continue reading the article online ->
The city is set to join a handful of other places that combine public libraries with affordable housing, a popular pairing that addresses increasingly pricey housing markets and limited land for new development."
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| The Fields Corner branch of the Boston Public Library. (Photo by Michael Jonas) |
"GOV. MAURA HEALEY’S recent appointment of the Commonwealth’s first cabinet level climate chief –Melissa Hoffer, joining from the Environmental Protection Agency – reflects the new administration’s belief that resiliency is a priority issue that spans public health, equity, the economy, and environmental sustainability.With key federal, state, and local players committed to rapidly advancing our efforts to address climate change, Massachusetts has both the scientific prowess and innovative spirit to be a global leader in addressing this critical issue. We also have an influx of new federal dollars, including funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, available to municipalities, states, and community-based organizations to fund resiliency efforts."
"GOV. MAURA HEALEY has gotten off to a good running start on implementing the Commonwealth’s plans to combat climate change by establishing an Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within the governor’s office and appointing a climate chief. The state’s long range climate change plans are embodied in the “Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Road Map,” which aims to reduce Massachusetts greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent of the 1990 baseline by 2050 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, through a near-total reliance on renewable energy sources and battery storage for electricity.If implemented, the plan will require a huge transformation of the electricity generation sector, shifting away from reliance on natural gas and other fossil fuels to generate electricity and instead relying on solar and wind sources. It would also require 100 percent electrification of building space and water heating and a massive increase in the number of electric vehicles, among other initiatives."
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| From CommonWealth Magazine - climate points of view: waterfront resilience & decarbonization roadmap gaps |
"THE COMPANY seeking to build a Massachusetts-financed transmission line carrying hydro-electricity from Quebec to Maine cleared another hurdle on its comeback trail when federal regulators dismissed objections raised by the nuclear power plant Seabrook Station.In a 52-page ruling, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled on Wednesday that Seabrook must upgrade a circuit breaker at the nuclear power plant to accommodate hydro-electricity expected to come into the region from Canada.FERC also ruled that Seabook’s owner, NextEra, can only charge Avangrid, the company building the power line, for the cost of replacing the circuit breaker and not for “opportunity costs” of $560,000 a day or legal fees.Avangrid and NextEra are big competitors in the New England energy market and have been battling each other for years on a variety of fronts."
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| Seabrook Station |
"The Legislature’s energy experts say it makes sense to penalize CommonWealth Wind and Mayflower Wind if they default on their recently approved power purchase contracts, but the lawmakers don’t want the penalties to include a ban on participation in an upcoming offshore wind procurement.The House and Senate chairs of the Legislature’s Utilities, Telecommunications, and Energy Committee say the state needs to walk a fine line between penalizing the companies but not penalizing itself. "
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| Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington (left) and Rep. Jeffrey Roy of Franklin, the chairs of Legislature's Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee. |
"The Department of Public Utilities last month approved plans from the state’s three largest electric utilities to invest more than $450 million to modernize grid technologies from 2022 through 2025.Under the three-year plans, the electric distributors will expand grid monitoring, communication and automation technologies to increase the safety and reliability of the Massachusetts electric power system, state officials said.
NSTAR Electric, National Grid and Unitil had each filed their grid modernization plans last year."
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| Department of Public Utilities Approves New Wave of Grid Modernization Investments |
FM #859 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 859 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist. We recorded this via the Zoom conference bridge Monday, October 3, 2022.
We are joined by our special guest, MA State Representative Jeff Roy. The last time Jeff was with us (August) we were all waiting for the governor to take action on the recent climate legislation. It had worked its way through the MA House & Senate, the Conference Committee, back through both the MA House & Senate and sat on Governor Baker’s desk until he did sign it.
In this episode our conversation covered the following topics:
legislation passed, signed, now what's next
electric rate, municipal aggregation, home electricity monitoring
Site visits; White House, Schneider Electric, Andover; Millstone Nuclear Plant in CT
MassSave options
This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well.
If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.
The conversation runs about 53 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted and State Rep Jeff Roy.
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Mass Save to sign up for an energy audit -> https://www.masssave.com/
White House visit - https://twitter.com/jeffroy/status/1570067557687738370
Millstone Nuclear plant visit ->https://twitter.com/jeffroy/status/1576180037132292096
See the page that collects the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
"Residents who did not opt-out of our Municipal Aggregation program will NOT see an increase in their electricity rate.
Take a peek at your energy bill. If you see a column labeled "Other Supplier Service" you're enrolled.
View a sample bill comparison: buff.ly/3e7wTLp
Want to enroll? Visit buff.ly/3RA93W5 to OPT-IN or call Dynegy at (866)220-5696.
Learn more about Franklin's municipal aggregation here: buff.ly/2RJoPli"
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| Franklin's Municipal Aggregation will help avoid the major electric rate increase |
If you are in Franklin and not already with a contract for service, or with a solar system, you should be part of the municipal aggregation plan with National Grid.
The plan began in Nov 2020 and the current contract extends through Nov 2023. The plan should remain in effective after that time, the contract renewal rate will be determined next year.
How can you tell if you are part of municipal aggregation? Looks at your most recent NationalGrid invoice/statement. There are two sections, one for delivery and one for supply. The suppler for municipal aggregation is Dynegy (Franklin Agg) and the rate should show as 0.10725 cents/kwh.
A copy of my redacted September invoice is shared with the delivery and supply sections circled. https://drive.google.com/file/d/102IZ-zrPhP0L_FmmJxBGbpBCCThSwGYW/view?usp=sharing
Here are some ways to lower your electric bill as shared by CommonWealth Magazine
"MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS HAVE some options to avoid – or at least sidestep for awhile — the sky-high electricity rates coming this winter.
National Grid provided a glimpse of what’s coming last week, when it announced its basic service rate would jump to a record 39 cents a kilowatt hour starting November 1. That’s nearly four times the current 11.5-cent rate and close to three times last winter’s 14.8-cent rate. The new winter rate, if approved by state regulators, will increase the typical customer’s utility bill by $114 a month, or 64 percent., for the next six months.
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| CommonWealth Magazine: Here are some ways to lower your electric bill |
