Could eating seaweed save the climate?

Cows are a significant source of methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas, primarily from belching as they digest grass and feed (with more coming out the cow’s back end). But recent research found that mixing in a tiny amount (0.5%) of a type of seaweed into their food greatly cuts methane output, with no negative impact on milk production.

The biggest issue confronting the energy industry in New York today is decarbonization. That is, how to reliably meet the energy needs of the state’s residents and businesses while drastically reducing and eventually eliminating altogether greenhouse gas emissions - and do it without breaking the bank. The challenge is especially – well, challenging – for the electricity sector. Under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), enacted into law this summer, all the electricity needs of New York are to be met by carbon-free resources no later than 2040.

Elmer Fudd may never find that wascally wabbit by looking down a rabbit hole, but building owners and managers can find a chunk of energy and cost savings just by looking up at their ceilings.

T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps powered by electronic ballasts, the high-efficiency standards of the ’80s and ’90s, may now be easily replaced by light-emitting diode (LED) systems that cut wattage and carbon emissions by half or more while providing the same amount of light. In Con Ed territory, LEDs may pay for themselves in 2-4 years. That’s an ROI of 25%-50%, better than most cost-cutting options available to buildings. Toss in the near elimination of re-lamping (due to 15-20-year LED lifetimes), and no more lamp recycling (LEDs contain no mercury), and even Yosemite Sam will feel like he’s struck gold.

New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act, especially Local Law 97, sparked the creation of generic carbon calculators for buildings to assess occupancy class and emission limits. Although intended to be helpful, not all are accurate.

As battery power storage pricing drops, new installation goals and incentive programs are emerging. New York State is pushing for 1.5 gigawatts (GW = 1000 MW) of storage capacity by 2025, and 3 GW by 2030. Utility level and behind-the-meter (BTM) projects promoted through equipment rebates and power price adjustments under the Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) process. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) Order 841 offers access to wholesale power markets by mandating Independent System Operators (ISOs) create rules for entry and valuing of power storage capacity.

Cities and states are moving ahead to fill the void left by federal inaction on global warming. On April 18, 2019, New York City’s government approved a Climate Mobilization Act designed to deepen and accelerate that effort. While hailed by many as a strong thrust toward reducing the City’s overall carbon footprint, some have expressed concern regarding its potential costs and ability to meet goals.

2020 may be the year of the electric vehicle (EV). Dozens of new models are available, and major car manufacturers are jumping on the EV bandwagon. As the power grid becomes cleaner, fossil-fueled transportation is now the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) contributor in the U.S. It is quickly becoming the new target to cut personal, community and national carbon footprints. More than 1 million EVs are on U.S. roads and price discounts abound, but get them before the “sunsets” on this popular industry trend.

As estimated by NYSERDA’s Environmental Disclosure Label data for NY State, alternative sources of energy are on the rise. Comparing 2014 data to that available in 2017, hydroelectric sources went from 5% to 9%. Meanwhile, the use of natural gas went from 56% to 42%.

New York City passed a set of laws under the Climate Mobilization Act to transition New York toward clean electricity and drastically lower Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This new legislation intends to counter the threat of climate change and involves four local laws which require:

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) wants to reduce carbon emissions from power production by charging a fee for it at the wholesale production level. The result would increase market prices, benefitting renewable and no/low carbon sources that would not have to pay the fee, but doing so could create many wrinkles in the fabric of the electricity market structure. However, discussions at various stakeholder meetings since 2017 are working to iron them out in time to initiate the fee in mid-2021.