Energy Advisory Committee

ENERGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT

DOCUMENTS/EXHIBITS USED AT MEETING:

Meeting summary

Quick recap

The meeting began with casual conversation about weather forecasts and personal updates before transitioning to discuss plans for an upcoming documentary screening about energy transitions. The group reviewed various energy initiatives including solar projects, building codes, and municipal energy aggregation, while addressing challenges with gas installations and developer appeals. The discussion concluded with updates on transmission lines, electricity pricing, and long-term energy planning, including considerations for water usage and conservation measures.

Next steps

• Michael: Send link and password for "How to Power a City" documentary to all Energy Advisory Committee members
• All EAC members: Watch "How to Power a City" documentary before next meeting or at the next meeting and prepare questions
• Michael: Send questions that are submitted to Molly, who will compile and edit them before passing to the film director
• Molly: Set up meeting with Rick Holland (KPNL) and team to review low-income solar program (within aggregation) questions
• Molly: Draft memo for City Council about low-income solar program, including questions and answers
• Molly/Wendy: Invite Mass Energize communities to the film screening event
• Molly: Contact National Grid next week to ask about gas line connection cost changes
• Molly: Add Constellation presentation to March meeting agenda for market update
• Mike: Pass out link to BU/state energy mapping website to committee members
• Molly: Contact building's asset manager (Fire Department) about requirement to purchase renewable energy for Cutter Station's energy gap
• Molly: Include Cutter Station energy performance data in City Council packet
• Molly/Mike: Walk through building to assess potential for window unit heat pumps
• Molly: Include window unit heat pump analysis in future building studies as potential efficiency measure
• Molly/Mike: Find out when the building code appeals board hearing is scheduled regarding the 5 large homes
• Molly/Mike: Talk to Dennis about the building code appeals board process
• Molly/Mike: Contact state rep and senator if building code appeals board grants waiver to the 5 large homes to request enforcement of state energy code
• Molly/Mike/Don: Present low-income solar program to Public Service Committee at February 16th meeting with Stuart from Colonial
• Molly/Mike/Don: Present low-income solar program to City Council at February 9th meeting
• Molly: Send meeting date/time to Michael for meeting with Mary Delai
• Molly: Arrange for group viewing of "How to Power a City" at February meeting at 6pm before regular meeting
• Molly: Contact National Grid about potential incentives for city-generated power to reduce T&D rates

Summary

Documentary Screening and Q&A Planning

The meeting focused on planning a screening of the documentary "How to Power a City" on April 27th at 7pm at the Screening Room. The film, which covers six communities transitioning away from fossil fuels, will be followed by a Q&A with the director via Zoom. The Energy Advisory Committee will cosponsor the event with Resiliency/Storm Surge.  Storm Surge would like the EAC to preview the movie and provide a list of questions for the director. The screening will be a "pay what you can" event rather than free admission to improve attendance, and Michael agreed to share the password-protected film link with the team for advance viewing.  We also decided to start the February meeting an hour early at 6PM to do a group screening of the movie, discuss it and come up with questions.

Solar Projects

They also reviewed ongoing solar projects for the city, including a new recreation center, senior center canopy, and low-income SMART program. The low-income solar program requires further legal review and needs to be presented to the City Council, with estimated annual savings of around $100,000 from all solar projects combined.

Low-Income Energy Savings Proposal

Molly, Don, & Mike discussed a proposal to provide additional energy savings to low-income customers through a combination of aggregation and community solar programs, which would be presented to the City Council in February. Molly outlined key benefits, risks, and implementation details, emphasizing that Colonial would administer the program with existing systems. Molly also addressed concerns about the new energy code, noting that some developers were appealing requirements due to high costs and buyer preferences for gas appliances. She planned to gather more information on the appeals process and potential stakeholders involved.

Electric Code Challenges for Large Homes

The group discussed challenges with building codes and energy requirements for new homes exceeding 4,000 square feet, particularly regarding the use of gas stoves and fireplaces. The building inspector (Dennis) had told Molly that homes over 4000 square feet find it hard to meet HERS ratings for mixed fuel, so they are seeking waivers.  The developers claim that customers want gas stoves and fireplaces. Mike suggested that if developers appeal to the board, we should contact state representatives to question the inconsistency between state encouragement of these requirements and the appeals board's potential waiver. The discussion concluded with a debate about whether Senator Tarr, known for supporting fossil fuels and nuclear energy, would be sympathetic to their position on building codes.  The group discussed National Grid's potential shift towards charging full costs for gas line installations, which could impact builders' decisions about offering gas appliances.

Energy for Generations

Molly reviewed the results of the Energy for Generations program, which included 22 events, reaching 300 residents and completing 150 energy assessments with 25 upgrades.

Cutter Station

Molly started a discussion about Cutter Station's power production and usage, which while not yet achieving net zero, showed promising results in the warmer months.  The group discussed energy performance issues with the new building's heat pump system and solar array, noting that the building was consuming more energy than it produced, requiring it to purchase renewable energy to meet compliance standards. They identified that the flat roof orientation of the solar panels was likely reducing their efficiency compared to a sloped design, and discussed lessons learned about incorporating solar expertise during the design phase. The conversation concluded with a suggestion to adopt a more structured post-construction analysis process similar to the Virginia Energy Association's approach, which includes tracking performance metrics and making iterative improvements.

Municipal Energy Contract Review

The group discussed municipal electric contract, noting that their current contract with Constellation ends in November, with current pricing at 12.2 cents and potential new rates around 13.4 cents. They agreed to invite a representative from Constellation to provide a market update at their next meeting, including information on supply trends, distribution, transmission capacity, and renewable energy requirements. The discussion also touched on the New England Clean Energy Connect, a new hydro system from Canada expected to supply 20% of Massachusetts' electricity over the next 20 years.

Energy Infrastructure and Policy Updates

Molly discussed the completion of the New England Energy Connect transmission line, which delivers hydropower from Canada to Massachusetts, and clarified that it provides approximately 4% of the state's overall electricity needs, not 20%. We will try to get  Constellation to present in March to address questions about the transmission line's impact. Molly also shared that the governor announced a 25% reduction in electricity bills and a 10% reduction in gas bills, funded by $180 million from the state, starting in February. Mike Spiro mentioned Maine's retroactive tax on solar farms and the potential for Massachusetts to follow suit, though Don suggested invoking a change of law in power purchase agreements as a nuclear option. Maine’s law is being challenged in the courts.The group also discussed long-term water planning for potential city development and the need for energy efficiency measures, including low-flush toilets and variable frequency drives for heating and cooling systems.

Community Energy Strategy Discussion

The group discussed energy consumption data and solar generation capabilities in their community.. They explored the possibility of negotiating rebates or discounts with National Grid for increased local power generation, though current regulations make it challenging to implement such incentives. The conversation also touched on a conservative report promoting fossil fuel and nuclear energy, as well as the governor's recent speech emphasizing a diverse energy mix including wind, solar, hydro, gas, and nuclear power to reduce costs and create jobs.