Just In!

Just In! features three fresh news item summaries on our home page every Monday, with the ability to comment via the blog link in each summary.

NY-GEO members get an advanced look at the Just In! articles plus several bonus article summaries with links on the Saturday before website publication.

If you enjoy this feature, please consider joining NY-GEO.

There is a lot happening over the next couple months, so please be sure to check out the new Events menu on our website.

1. What is Geothermal?
2. Con Ed Proposal Opposed
3. Call for $1 Billion for Climate Transition

1. What is Geothermal?

NY-GEO board member John Manning produced an excellent 14 minute, 23 second video explaining geothermal heat pumps for a recent Heat Smart Central New York Open House.

View John's "Beer to Feet" explanation of how a heat pump works. Get your inner Beneficial Electrification Geek On with Mr. Manning.

You can comment here.

2. Con Ed Proposal Opposed

From Politico New York Energy's (2019 11 07) Marie J. French:

A joint proposal by Con Edison and the state Department of Public Service to hike utility rates runs afoul of New York's ambitious mandates to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, some environmental groups are warning. The proposal includes hundreds of millions in investments for new or upgraded fossil fuel infrastructure and defers planning for a future without natural gas. Environmentalists who did not support the proposal urged the Public Service Commission to reject it because those elements do not align with the state's new climate law. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July requires the state to reduce emissions 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 and use offsets for only the most difficult-to-tackle pollution. Meeting the statutory mandates requires eliminating all use of natural gas for heating and powering buildings — a challenging task given the state economy's current reliance on the fossil fuel.

..."As the regulator of the State's energy utilities, the Commission must oversee the transformation of New York's energy sector to 100 percent clean," wrote attorneys for the Pace Energy and Climate Center in comments filed Monday. "The PSC must step away from a business-as-usual approach to the energy system and require that utilities immediately make deep and swift cuts to their use of fossil fuels, stop spending ratepayer dollars on investment in fossil fuel infrastructure, and actually adhere to the goals of REV and the mandates in the [climate law.]"

Please renew your NY-GEO membership if you haven't already.

See our Facebook page, @NewYorkGEOHP, for other updates.

Summaries and FB page are maintained by Billii Roberti of Green Choices Consulting.