Just In! is NY-GEO’s weekly news feed for members. NY-GEO’s calendar-year memberships are open to everyone and available for as little as $35. See more information on memberships here. Click here to see some of the work a NY-GEO membership supports. We also feature three of the top news item summaries on the NY-GEO home page every Monday.
Unions Support Climate Action Council Plan – In a New York City press conference, 14 labor organizations released a letter supporting the Climate Action Council’s Scoping plan while outlining recommendations for a just transition for workers. “we continue to advocate for ambitious climate action to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect public health, spur economic development, and bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to New York. We thank the members of the Climate Action Council for all of your hard work in putting together this comprehensive Draft Scoping Plan. The Draft Scoping Plan includes critically important recommendations toward decarbonizing our grid and our buildings; prioritizing zero-emission energy sources including wind, solar, geothermal, and storage; and electrifying transportation. We also recognize that there is still more work to be done, work that must lead with our workers and our communities.”
How to Construct a U.S. Geothermal Energy Network – We built 1.5 million miles of gas lines over 20 years in the 1950s and 1960s. Can we do the same with geothermal energy networks? – by Jay Egg on the Professional Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Piping Community website – “Most of the U.S. natural gas infrastructure is due for replacement. It’s time for the 70-year-old pipelines to be upgraded from piping combustible fossil fuels to piping renewable, water-based thermal energy networks. …The U.S. fiberoptic network has expanded over the last few decades at a cost of $3,000 to $8,000 per home (https://bit.ly/3l725dj). Similarly, we are beginning the process for the thermal energy network using much of the same GIS and layout technology.” Thanks to Lisa Dix from the Building Decarbonization Coalition for this tip. Of course, the underground thermal resource adequate to supply heat pumps is readily available EVERYWHERE in New York State. There is no need for long distance pipelines, but Egg’s article illustrates the historic precedent and the potential benefits of investing in underground piping Full article here.
Aligning Climate and Affordability Goals Can Save States Billions – Arjun Makhijani and Boris Lukanov – “An urgent question posed by climate imperatives is: will the transition away from fossil fuels worsen energy cost burdens or can it be managed in ways that increase energy affordability… We found that fully integrating equity with climate change mitigation goals in Colorado would result in a cumulative net savings of approximately $1.5 billion over a 20-year period compared to a bill assistance-only approach. The key to maximizing the effectiveness of these investments is to strategically target energy efficiency, electrification of heating, and access to low-cost community solar electricity for all low- and moderate-income electricity customers.” Article with link to the CO study here
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