Boston GreenScene

Learning From Cape Wind

By Dan Burgess

This April, near the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will make the final decision that seals the fate of Cape Wind.  The tumultuous 130 off-shore wind turbine project, in process for almost ten years, has the potential to turn the powerful Nantucket Sound winds into enough clean electricity for approximately 400,000 homes. 
 
No matter how Secretary Salazar adjudicates, however, it is clear that there is a lesson that Massachusetts policy makers must learn from Cape Wind: large projects cannot be the unilateral focus of clean energy development.
 
While Cape Wind has helped to blaze a critical path for wind electricity generation in New England, it has also shown that such projects can be incredibly controversial.  Opponents of Cape Wind believe the turbines would hinder sea navigation, do harm to the local environment, diminish the Sound’s natural beauty, and negatively impact tourism.  Additionally, opponents are skeptical about supporting a project in their backyard that appears to only financially benefit the few who have access to the tremendous resources that are required for a wind farm like Cape Wind.
 
Considering the abject criticism that arises with large renewable energy sites, it is evident that a parallel policy which supports smaller projects should be pursued. 
 
Imagine a policy which allows every Commonwealth resident or business with a parcel of land or a rooftop to prosper from installing their own renewable energy system.  A system in which each citizen, not just those with great means, has the ability to produce clean, safe electricity that also increases their financial security.  Envision windmills on every farm, solar panels on every home or business, and Massachusetts taking a real step towards energy independence.
 
This vision is not some policy pipe dream.  This scenario is beginning to happen today in several European countries and Canada, and is leading to rapid growth in renewable energy generation.  In Germany, a country that is considered a world leader in clean energy production, over 15% of electricity consumed is produced by renewable energy sources.  This number is expected to grow to at least 50% by 2050.  In Spain, wind turbines supply over half of the national power grid and solar panel installment is on the rise.  These surges of clean, homegrown electricity are made possible in part through a simple policy mechanism called a feed-in tariff.  
 

A feed-in tariff, also known as a renewable energy payment, is a guaranteed monetary payment per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by a renewable source.  These guaranteed payments from power companies to renewable producers create a market for clean electricity, reduce the barriers to entry for individual investors, and allow virtually any individual to prosper financially from installing a clean energy system.
 
Currently in Massachusetts, most of those who produce clean energy can only count on receiving a kilowatt credit on their bill for the unused electricity that they create.  This policy, known as net metering, is the most common form of clean energy incentive in the United States and does allow some clean energy projects to be feasible for individuals.  Unfortunately, these electricity credits, even when combined with available rebates, grants, and tax incentives, are simply not enough to kick start the renewable power surge that our state needs.  In fact, the lack of a singular incentive policy can have the reverse effect and can become too complex of an investment puzzle for potential investors to piece together.
 
Forty years ago, the Clean Air Act set off a stampede of environmental innovation and investment that our country had never seen before.  Recently, Massachusetts has led the United States by enacting several progressive clean energy policies such as the Green Communities Act.  Now, on the cusp of the looming Cape Wind decision, Massachusetts residents are calling once again for more progressive energy policy.  People are desperate for new jobs, financial security, and freedom from being held hostage by yo-yoing energy prices.  Bay State officials should heed these pleas, and enact a smart, comprehensive feed-in tariff policy that allows all citizens to take part in the clean energy revolution that Massachusetts so desperately needs.

Boston - A New Environmental Science Academy

By Scotland Willis

Boston City Councilor John Connolly, hosted a meeting to investigate the creation of an Environmental Science Academy charter school.  Twenty-three members of an advisory committee (selected by the Councilor,) gathered around the large conference table at City Hall, to listen to the Councilor's vision and guidelines to make this charter school a reality. 

After listening to the outline for the vision, the advisory committee provided a list of immediate recommendations to help jump start the work.  Ideas came from students, environmental and academic experts, as well as community people.  Together they  identified some preliminary resources to consider for part of the work.  Ideas for the academy ranged from partnerships with A123 battery manufacture, to similar school models established in Europe.  

Over the next 8 months, the advisory committee will gather information that can be presented to the entire city council, to help build a case for the creation of the environmental science academy.  Part of the vision includes serving k-12, using strategies that will incorporate much of today's environmental technology.  Math and science priorities are to be built into the framework, making it eligible for Race To The Top funds at the federal level.  This funding increases the likelihood of its creation by the Boston Public School system, if the city council votes in favor of the proposal at the end of the year.  As good of an idea as this sounds, major barriers still exist because of already strained budget and contentious issues brought forth by public school teachers.  For this reason, the advisory committee will have to work extra hard.

Councilor Connolly has made it very clear that he wants the advisory committee to search far and wide for the best ideas.  The academy is consistent with Mayor Menino's objective to make Boston a leader in the green economy.  If all goes well, Boston may very well see its first school dedicated to the environmental sciences and sustainability.

Policy Corner: Feed-in Tariffs Offer Farmers Clean Energy Revenue

By Dan Burgess 

As we’ve explored over the past few months, Massachusetts has several initiatives in place that aim to promote clean energy generation.  Renewable portfolio standards, net metering, tax credits, rebates, and state grants are all helping to ensure that the Commonwealth is a burgeoning renewable energy leader in the United States.These policies, particularly net metering and the streamlining of wind turbine citing processes, now pave the way for a more progressive policy that has proven to be successful in Europe and Canada: renewable energy payments known as feed-in tariffs (FITs). 

Put succinctly by renewable energy analyst and advocate Paul Gipe: “Feed-in tariffs are simply payments per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by a renewable resource. They are the world’s most successful policy for the rapid development of significant amounts of renewable energy... Feed-in tariffs work because they are more equitable than other policies. They enable everyone--including homeowners, farmers, cooperatives, and businesses large and small--to profit from renewable energy.” 

As Gipe mentions, FIT policy has proven, both in Europe and in the few times it has been attempted in the United States, to be superior to other clean energy policies.  These guaranteed payments from power companies are successful because they allow investors to garner a modest profit from renewable energy generation.  A smart FIT payment structure ensures moderate profitability for even small projects and reduces market entry barriers that currently exist for establishing clean energy systems.  It’s easy to imagine our state leading the clean energy boom if Bay State households were paid directly as a result of installing solar panels on their roof or erecting a windmill on their farm. As outlined by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are six key elements for successful FIT policy:

1. Contract stability, typically for 15 - 20 years
   
2. Payments based on the cost of a project that ensure a modest profit for the investor.
3. Incremental payment decreases throughout the lifetime of a contract to account for future technology advancements.
4. Payments should be dependent on the type of project. 
5. In order to ensure payment, additional costs of FIT payments should be tied directly back to electricity rate payers.
6. Ensure a FIT approval process in streamline in order not to discourage projects from coming to fruition.

Massachusetts has set formidable goals for clean energy generation and job creation.  These goals aim to reduce negative climate impact, create green collar jobs, lessen the Commonwealth’s requirement for fossil fuels, and to produce a more sustainable state for future generations.  The most effective way for Massachusetts officials to ensure the Bay State is this leader, is to enact a common sense feed-in tariff system that will ultimately renew, revitalize, and rejuvenate our state. To learn more about FIT policy visit www.wind-works.org or visit the NREL at www.nrel.gov.  

Policy Corner: Renewable Energy Snapshot

by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator

As the environmental policy debate continues to ramp up both abroad and here at home, a useful new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)  was released and provides us with a snapshot of how the United States, and the state of Massachusetts, are performing.  The NREL report,  titled ‘State of the States 2009: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy,’ is a comprehensive snapshot of the United States renewable energy production by state.  Derived from renewable energy information collected between 2001 and 2007, the report clearly demonstrates how effective, or futile, the United States clean energy strategy has been and the role Massachusetts is playing in comparison to other states.  While the data does not show results from the most recent legislative efforts made by Governor Patrick, the figures do serve as a good yardstick to gauge overall efforts.  The following comes from the 212 page report:

Policy Corner: Cash for Caulkers

by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator

In a slew of clean energy policy news this past week, the most intriguing idea I’ve heard is that of a ‘Cash for Caulkers’ program.  This initiative, as explained by David Leonhardt in the New York Times, would provide federal subsidies to encourage home weatherization in the United States. 

Much like how the Cash for Clunkers program helped buoy the automotive industry by encouraging car owners to purchase more energy efficient vehicles, the Cash for Caulkers measure would provide incentives for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient.  Household energy efficiency would be gauged through energy audits and money would then be provided by the federal government to homeowners to help offset the overall costs of the weatherization.  There are numerous benefits to this idea and it should be enacted as soon as possible.

This program would undoubtedly reduce energy use immediately.  In the article, Leonhardt mentions that the consulting firm McKinsey estimates there could be a 28% reduction in energy use over the next decade with proper weatherization in the United States.  This reduction not only would make our country less reliant on unclean energy sources, but also would provide immediate financial relief for struggling families in Massachusetts. 

Green Job Growth: What is it? Where is it?

by Anneli C. Olila, Editor-in-Chief of Boston GreenScene / Principal of Olila Documents & Communication Strategies

In my recent discussion of green job hunting myths, I argued against the mystique surrounding the green job industry and the psychological and other barriers this presents to those hoping to transition into a green career.  Responses from readers ranged from disbelief, to hesitant hope, to specific questions regarding qualifications and resources. In this article, I start to provide some data that may be useful to readers in understanding the projected growth of the green job market and where they might fit in.

What Do We Mean by 'the Green Job Market is Growing'?

According to the United States President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), green jobs are everywhere, and the growth of the green job market is anticipated to continue to outstrip the growth of other markets. In its July 2009 report, the CEA cited data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing projected growth in environmentally-related occupations to be 38% more than all other occupations combined by 2016. This is depicted in the following figure, reproduced from page 8 of their report:

To put this into perspective, it is worth noting that the occupations they considered were actually in a fairly limited range.  Specifically, the BLS projections drawn from in the CEA report are based on data for the following occupations only:

Cat People, Green is for the Birds

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

’Questions regarding the value or inutility of the domestic cat, and problems connected with limiting its more or less unwelcome outdoor activities, are causing much dissension. The discussion has reached an acute stage. Medical men, game protectors and bird lovers call on legislators to enact restrictive laws. Then ardent cat lovers rouse themselves for combat. In the excitement of partisanship many loose and ill-considered statements are made.’


Those sentiments recorded in a 1916 report to the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture by Edward Howe Forbush are echoed in today’s struggle with the very same issue. Cats kill birds and they kill them for the hell of it - a penchant they share with humans and few other species. Uncomfortable as that fact may be to those who like cats; the reality is that this issue requires frank assessment when the cat problem is raised. This problem affects various city ecosystems and is a part of a community’s carbon imprint in indirect ways.

Cats kill birds that nest in the city’s trees. That’s a plain fact and not in dispute. The killing lowers the numbers of birds and then increases the number of pest insects, which can have deleterious impact on the health of trees. Healthy trees contribute to clean air and lower the temperature around them. In general, lower temps and cleaner air diminishes the carbon imprint of a city.

This controversy places into conflict forces that seem to have come to their positions along similar paths. The folks who advocate for either cats or birds may have many similar emotional reasons to feel the way they do. Advocacy can often breed an intolerance of opposing views. In the extreme, and in a most peculiar manner, these factions can be seen to be at odds. The resolution of these matters or at least the attempts to come to some agreement has implications for other groups similarly conflicted.

The New Clean Energy Industry

by Dan Burgess

The time for the United States to seriously invest in the burgeoning clean energy industry was yesterday. As highlighted in recent op-eds by both Thomas L. Friedman and Ronald Brownstein, we are already falling behind the competition and are losing clean energy manufacturing business to other countries. These countries, particularly China and India, have seen the proverbial writing on the wall and are attracting serious investors to their developing nations. The United States desperately needs to bring these investors to America, or we may risk becoming the ‘Detroit’ of world industrial economies.

In preparation for Cleantech Forum XVIII, a clean technology trade show earlier this month, state officials patted Massachusetts on the back for almost doubling the amount of jobs in the solar sector. Solar energy employees rose from 1,086 in 2007 to 2,075 in 2008. These employees are vital to our economy, and this should absolutely be seen as a step in the right direction to a sustainable energy future in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, this growth appears to have been almost entirely in the installation and maintenance of solar. It also seems that the majority of future funding will be going toward more training in these job fields. While growth and support of this portion of the industry is very positive, Massachusetts desperately needs new manufacturing jobs in our state - jobs like the ones that are being shipped overseas to companies in China.

Mayor Menino Raises the Green Roof on Runoff

Harvey the Hoverfly II

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

When I come home feelin' tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet (up on the roof)
I get away from the hustling crowd
And all that rat-race noise down in the street (up on the roof)
On the roof, the only place I know
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let's go up on the roof (up on the roof)

~ Goffin and King

Harvey the Hoverfly* is a little confused. He and his antecedents have hovered around the Hub for eons. Until quite recently things had been tough and growing tougher for the average hoverfly to do what hoverflies do. Pesky humans and their swatting -- unfortunately for the hoverflies, they look like wasps, only smaller, and folks like to whack them.

For the flies in this urban setting there are fewer places to land; there is smoke and bad air to contend with and that music! What’s the point? Why it’s enough to poke your eyes out, all 5 of them! That’s the question raised around the haunts of the hoverfly. But, now I’m into something good, hums Harvey. This is nice - freedom up in the air and plenty of Bailey’s Gold to land on and a surfeit of aphids to eat, say the flies. Hoverfly heaven. From Yarmouth Town to Brockton the buzz abounds. What could be causing all this Diptera fluttering and excitement? Why, it’s the green roofs popping up around Boston!

Boston Organizations Play A Key Role in Corporate Citizenship Initiatives

by Terry Catchpole, Founder and CEO of The Catchpole Corporation
The Catchpole Corporation consults with firms on their executive visibility initiatives in regard to corporate citizenship.

In the face of unprecedented economic uncertainty and rigid fiscal requirements, corporate executives are nonetheless increasingly embracing a traditionally “soft” facet of business practice: corporate citizenship. This practice, also known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sees firms allocating scarce budget and personnel resources to address their activities in areas such as environmental impact, diversity practices, and ethical sourcing.

There are several reasons for this unprecedented corporate activity we see in this area, none of them more important than businesses’ escalating concern over climate change and appreciation of the role that they can play in reducing carbon emissions and thereby doing their part in helping to head off the threats of global warming.  Companies are noting the Obama Administration’s commitment to aggressive legislative action as regards climate and carbon, as well as the fact that the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December is mandated to produce a new global treaty, supplanting the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, that could well ultimately have significant impact on global businesses of all sizes, in all markets.