November 18 , 2024, 6:00 – 7:00pm
ONLINE
Public Listening Sessions on Non-Pipeline Alternatives
On December 6, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) requested natural gas distribution companies to engage with stakeholders to develop a framework for Non-Pipeline Alternatives (NPA). The natural gas companies want to gather input from a wide range of people with diverse viewpoints to ensure the NPA framework meets customer needs while maintaining safety and reliability as the gas system evolves.
To engage the public in this effort, there will be one more Public Listening Session opportunity for individuals and organizations that would like to stay informed and provide input. The session will be held virtually:
Evening Listening Session (virtual): Monday November 18, 6 – 7PM (REGISTER HERE )
The public listening sessions will be geared toward education about the gas system, overall goals of the NPA framework process, and gathering initial questions/comments from the public. Feedback from the listening sessions will be shared with and incorporated into discussions between the gas companies and additional stakeholders involved in the NPA framework process. Minutes and public comments will be posted on the NPA Stakeholder Website.
November 18, 2024, 1:00pm
ONLINE
Clean Peak Energy Standard Notice of Public Comment and Hearing
On October 11, 2024, the Department of Energy Resources (Department) filed an emergency rulemaking with the Secretary of State that makes changes to 225 CMR 21.00 Clean Peak Energy Standard (CPS). The amendments make revisions to:
- The ACP Rate
- The initial Clean Peak Energy Certificate (CPEC) procurement target and requires DOER to publish a staggered procurement schedule by November 12, 2024
- The Summer Seasonal Peak Period
- CPEC Banked Compliance
- To see the specific changes made to the Regulation, please review the clean and redline document at the Department’s website.
The Department will be holding a public hearing to receive verbal and written comments on the emergency regulation.
Location: Virtual Hearing via Zoom
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oj6osN4ySBqPuq2tSiTgNg#/registration
Date: November 18, 2024 beginning at 1:00 P.M
Verbal testimony will be accepted at the hearing; however, parties may also provide written copies of their testimony. Written comments will be accepted beginning October 25, 2024 and ending at 5:00 P.M. on November 18, 2024. The Department requests that written comments be submitted as attached pdf files to DOER.CPS@mass.gov, with the words 2024 CPS FOLLOW-ON EMERGENCY RULEMAKING COMMENTS in the subject line. Alternatively, comments can be submitted via mail to Thomas Ferguson at the Department of Energy Resources, 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02114. Copies of the proposed regulations may be obtained from the DOER website www.mass.gov/doer or by contacting Thomas Ferguson at Thomas.Ferguson@mass.gov.
November 20, 2024, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
ONLINE
Residential Solar+Storage: Weighing the Benefits of Bill Savings vs. Backup Power
| The threat of power outages has led a growing number of households to include battery storage when installing solar. When paired together, solar and battery storage can deliver reliable, clean energy to keep the lights on and power critical household devices for hours or even days during extended grid outages, but despite falling costs, battery systems are still an expensive investment. So, how can households balance the economic benefits of using their battery to lower energy bills and the resilience benefits of reserving a portion of their battery’s stored energy for backup power? A new study and report from Berkeley Lab, “Bill Savings vs. Backup Power: Evaluating operational tradeoffs for home solar+storage systems“, explores this question. The study found that, in most cases, the economic value of using a battery to lower costs tends to outweigh the resilience value gained by reserving more of the battery capacity for outages. In this webinar, Galen Barbose from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Energy Markets and Policy Department (Berkeley Lab EMP) will review findings from the study, discuss the tradeoffs between bill savings and backup power, and answer questions from attendees. Sunhee Baik and Cesca Miller of Berkeley Lab EMP will join for the Q&A portion of the webinar. |
November 20, 2024, 11:00 am – 3:00pm
ONLINE
Advancing Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is a promising source of global 24/7, carbon-free, affordable power and heat, but despite this and its ability to produce significantly more power from a smaller footprint than many existing renewable energy technologies, barriers to widespread geothermal deployment still remain. Advancing geothermal energy involves addressing technical, economic, and regulatory challenges to fully leverage its broad range of capabilities. This public meeting will bring together experts to address these challenges and future opportunities to advance these efforts.
December 13, 2024, 8:45 am – 12:30pm
Foley Hoag LLP
155 Seaport Blvd 17th Floor Boston, MA 02210 and ONLINE
Former FERC Chair Keynote; Panels on Future Grid Scale Clean Energy Options and Transportation Electrification
This Roundtable will feature a Keynote by former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Rich Glick and will include panels on Future Grid Scale Clean Energy Options and Transportation Electrification, both of which are needed to meet New England and Northeast decarbonization requirements.
Friday, December 13, 2024, 8:45 am-12:30 pm
(Networking over breakfast refreshments 8:15-8:45 am)
*(Note earlier start time)
Moderator: Janet Gail Besser
Convener: Raab Associates, Ltd.
Host: Foley Hoag
» Register here to attend in-person or to livestream