GE Digital Gas Plants vs. Utility-Scale Batteries
Two sides on the recent FERC confirmations:
Senate confirms two energy commission nominees, restoring quorum
The Senate voted Thursday evening to confirm two of President Trump’s nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), paving the way for the commission to have its first quorum in six months. Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson were confirmed by unanimous consent and are slated to join the five-member board, which has seen its action paused since February following a pair of retirements. FERC is responsible for permitting decisions on energy projects like natural gas pipelines and export terminals. FROM THE HILL <more>
Senate Confirms Energy Regulator Who Once Called Anti-Oil Activists Jihadists
Senate lawmakers confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday, despite environmentalists’ complaints about the nominee’s history of accusing anti-oil activists of engaging in jihad against energy projects. Former Pennsylvania energy regulator Robert Powelson was confirmed Thursday night to the FERC, which has floundered since the beginning of the Trump administration because it lacks enough members for a quorum. FROM THE DAILY CALLER <more>
Trump Administration Revises Conservation Plan For Western Sage Grouse
A task force is recommending changes that could loosen protections for the greater sage grouse, a Western bird species renowned for its elaborate mating dance. The report comes out of a review by the Trump administration of a massive Obama-era conservation plan for the bird which is imperiled by loss of habitat. FROM NPR <more>
Jobs (click here for full job listings)
Community Solar Interns – Co-op Power – Florence, MA
Energy Efficiency Intern – Co-op Power – Florence, MA
Community Solar Program Director – Co-op Power – Florence, MA
Energy Efficiency Program Manager – Co-op Power – Florence, MA
Chief Executive Officer – Co-op Power – Florence, MA
In-Lieu Fee Program Assistant – Dept. of Fish and Game – Boston, MA
Development and Communications Director – Schumacher Center for New Economics – Egremont, MA
2017-18 Position Openings with TerraCorps – Various locations
Various Positions – The Manice Education Center (MEC) – Florida, MA
Volunteer Opportunities in the Berkshires w/The Trustees – Stockbridge & Cummington, MA
Pittsfield, MA — On August 12th Steve Linsky from the Massachusetts Sierra Club, and Eugenia Gibbons of Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, will present a clean energy activist training in the back room of J. Allen’s Clubhouse Grille, 41 North Street, Pittsfield, MA from 12 – 2 PM. The event is free and open to the public. There is parking and a back entrance on McKay Street. Food and drink will be available for purchase.
Gibbons will speak about the history and status of clean energy programs and legislation in Massachusetts. Linsky will follow with a presentation about how to effectively communicate with our local officials.
Both the Massachusetts Sierra Club and Mass Energy advocate for renewable energy solutions at state and local levels. Together, the organizations are well positioned to explain the ins and outs of Massachusetts energy policy, including the content and status of current bills as well steps that could be taken to improve those bills. This event is designed to get participants up to speed quickly and equip them to effect real change in their communities and our state.
Governor Baker, along with many state legislators, is speaking up since the federal government has walked away from the Paris Climate Accord. Massachusetts state officials recognize the fact that energy solutions will help sustain the state’s economy well into the future by creating jobs and attracting innovative businesses. Massachusetts must continue to lead the charge with responsible climate policy and we need informed citizens to make that possible. Join the discussion and get involved on August 12th.
This event is co-hosted by: 350MA-Berkshire Node, Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), Massachusetts Sierra Club, and No Fracked Gas In Mass.
AGENDA
Introductions
Massachusetts Clean Energy 101
Demystifying Elected Officials
Next Steps
Eugenia Gibbons is the Clean Energy Program Director at Mass Energy Consumers Alliance (MA), where she advocates for consumers and the environment on local and statewide energy issues. Mass Energy is dedicated to making energy affordable and environmentally sustainable. It’s mission is to harness the collective power of energy consumers to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future and offers energy-related assistance and programming on energy efficiency and clean energy solutions including electric vehicles and renewable energy.
Eugenia has a master’s degree from Tufts University’s Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning Program and is a proud alumna of the University of Connecticut. A mother of two and self-described “momvocate,” Eugenia’s commitment to a healthy environment and safe future for all is both personal and professional. In her spare time, she serves on the Massachusetts Leadership Team of Mothers Out Front and is engages in advocacy for safer alternatives to toxic chemicals.
Stephen Linsky has practiced as an attorney and mediator for over thirty years. Stephen attended the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees. He also interned with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group in a successful campaign to persuade Western Massachusetts municipal power companies to divest from nuclear power holdings. A member of Mass SAVE’s first energy auditing staff, Stephen has also served as a state house intern and as an elected member of the Newton Board of Aldermen from 2002-2014.
Since returning to Western Massachusetts, Stephen had a solar roof array installed on his high energy efficient home in Easthampton and has advocated for rapidly expanding renewable energy use on behalf of the Massachusetts Sierra Club, the Massachusetts Solar Owner’s Association and the Climate Action Network.
Senate confirms two energy commission nominees, restoring quorum
FROM THE HILL | BY DEVIN HENRY
The Senate voted Thursday evening to confirm two of President Trump’s nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), paving the way for the commission to have its first quorum in six months.
Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson were confirmed by unanimous consent and are slated to join the five-member board, which has seen its action paused since February following a pair of retirements. FERC is responsible for permitting decisions on energy projects like natural gas pipelines and export terminals.
The lack of a quorum has left FERC unable to move such projects forward, inaction that has led to frustration in the energy, manufacturing and business communities.
Neither Chatterjee nor Powelson was considered a controversial pick. Chatterjee is an energy aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Powelson is a Pennsylvania utilities regulator.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced both nominations in June on 20-3 votes.
Democrats, though, had been hesitant to bring their nominations to the floor for confirmation votes until they were assured a Democratic nominee would receive a vote as well. The White House filed paperwork for Democrat Richard Glick’s nomination on Wednesday.
Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced Thursday she would hold a September hearing for Glick’s nomination and that of Kevin McIntrye, whom Trump has picked to be chairman of the commission.
Democrat Cheryl LaFleur is the only current member of FERC. Former Commissioner Colette Honorable and former Chairman Norman Bay left the commission earlier this year.
Senate Confirms Energy Regulator Who Once Called Anti-Oil Activists Jihadists
Senate lawmakers confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday, despite environmentalists’ complaints about the nominee’s history of accusing anti-oil activists of engaging in jihad against energy projects.
Former Pennsylvania energy regulator Robert Powelson was confirmed Thursday night to the FERC, which has floundered since the beginning of the Trump administration because it lacks enough members for a quorum.
Powelson, who is a former member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, was scrutinized earlier this year for suggesting that anti-oil activists are engaging in a religious war against energy regulators.
“The jihad has begun,” Powelson told an audience in March while speaking to industry representatives at a conference in Pennsylvania. “At the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, groups actually show up at commissioners’ homes to make sure we don’t get this gas to market. How irresponsible is that?”
The FERC currently has only one commissioner, Cheryl LaFleur, and has been without a quorum since former chairman Norman Bay resigned in early February. The lack of a quorum has left the agency unable to move forward on highly contested oil and gas projects.
Environmentalists criticized the Senate’s decision to unanimously confirm Powelson, as well as Neil Chatterjee, a policy adviser for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“The Senate just gave about as much attention to pushing through these FERC nominees as FERC gives to the impacts of fossil fuel projects they approve: Zero. This is a shameful day in shameful times for the U.S. Senate,” David Turnbull, an activist for Oil Change International, said in a statement following the Senate’s confirmation.
President Donald Trump touted overhauling barriers to oil projects like the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, but the lack of a quorum may well be hurting the president’s ability to move forward on $13 billion worth of energy projects, according to a Friday report from Politico.
Celebrity environmentalist announced a campaign earlier this year to stop the FERC from gaining new members needed for approving new natural gas pipelines and other projects.
One of the activists spearheading the coalition is well-known anti-fracking campaigner, Josh Fox. He and other activists want to “spotlight the growing national opposition” to new FERC appointments by the Trump administration, according to a media advisory in March explaining the move to target the benign agency. Much of the anger came Trump elevated LaFleur to head the FERC, which caused the demoted member to retire and leave the committee with only two panelists.
The Trump administration has filed paperwork necessary to nominate Richard Glick, who serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Kevin McIntyre, a Republican and energy industry attorney.
Trump Administration Revises Conservation Plan For Western Sage Grouse
A task force is recommending changes that could loosen protections for the greater sage grouse, a Western bird species renowned for its elaborate mating dance.
The report comes out of a review by the Trump administration of a massive Obama-era conservation plan for the bird which is imperiled by loss of habitat.
The administration says the revisions are aimed at giving states more flexibility. But critics argue that the changes favor mining and petroleum companies and could hurt the bird’s long-term prospects.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ordered a review of current sage grouse management plans in June, saying he wanted to see improvement in the bird’s conservation while also taking into account “local economic growth and job creation.”
The review task force came back with a list of recommendations that could relax rules related to the sage grouse around mineral leasing areas and allow for more flexibility in grazing management. Noting President Trump’s executive order “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth,” the task force’s review says: “A cooperative DOI and State effort can provide the flexibility for responsible economic growth and at the same time ensure conservation of [greater sage grouse] habitat.”
Zinke has ordered his agencies to begin implementing the recommendations immediately.
Greater sage grouse, which live across 11 Western states, have seen their populations decline from the millions to fewer than 500,000. In 2010, their numbers dipped to the point where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed that the bird warranted protections under the Endangered Species Act, but limited resources and higher priorities precluded it.
Still, the finding put a scare into natural resource-dependent Western states. A listing under the Endangered Species Act would have severely limited development on tens of millions of acres of Western land. One study estimated that $5.6 billion in economic output would be lost if the bird was listed.
As a result, a broad and unlikely coalition of biologists, ranchers, environmental groups, extractive industries, federal agencies and state and local governments worked feverishly to create a management plan for the bird that would preempt a listing.
Finalized in 2015, the Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Plan was lauded as unprecedented and as one of the most complex and comprehensive conservation efforts in U.S. history. Then-Interior Director Sally Jewell described it as a “truly historic moment – one that represents extraordinary collaboration across the American West.” Given the efforts and an evaluation of the bird’s population status, the FWS decided to not list the greater sage grouse.
Not everyone was happy though. Some environmental groups argued that the plans didn’t go far enough and that the bird needed protections under the Endangered Species Act to survive. A few Western states – Nevada, Idaho and Utah – argued that the plan was too restrictive and that it would impede economic development. Some oil, gas and coal companies agreed. With the Trump administration touting energy independence, pushing for increased energy development on federal lands, and rolling back many Obama-era environmental policies, many expected the sage grouse plan to be reviewed.
In a memo posted with the task force’s recommendations, Zinke wrote that he issued the review in response to “concerns” he had heard regarding the plan. The American Petroleum Institute applauded his efforts in a press release on Monday. “The record shows that energy development and sage grouse populations can successfully coexist,” said API Upstream Director Erik Milito. “And the industry has been a leader in working with state governments and agencies to preserve Western habitats, while continuing to meet the needs of America’s energy consumers.”
Environmental and conservation groups are lambasting the decision to revise the current sage grouse management plan, saying that it’s a sign that the Trump administration can’t say ‘no’ to mining and petroleum companies. “Weakening these plans puts the grouse at grave risk of further population declines,” says Steve Holmer, Vice President of Policy at American Bird Conservancy.
Jobs
Various Positions at Co-op Power
Co-op Power in Florence, MA, is hiring for:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Energy Efficiency Program Manager
- Community Solar Program Director
- Energy Efficiency Intern
- Community Solar Interns
Full details and how to apply here.
Development and Communications Director – Schumacher Center for New Economics – Egremont, MA
The Schumacher Center is looking for an exceptional individual to join our team and work with other program staff and the executive director to represent the organization and further its goals. A successful candidate will be a detail-oriented team player with proven writing, speaking, and event coordination skills, and a demonstrated interest in shaping a more just and sustainable economic system. The ideal candidate will have the ability to learn quickly and anticipate the needs of a fast-moving team, while also possessing creativity and a positive attitude. Full details and how to apply here.
2017-18 Position Openings with TerraCorps – Various locations
TerraCorps, formerly MassLIFT-AmeriCorps, is an innovative national service program helping communities conserve and secure land for the health and well-being of people and nature. This year we are looking for 36 members to serve in full-time, 11 month positions. Members will carry out capacity building projects; educate or train individuals; recruit, train, manage, and support community volunteers engaged in land-based activities; and identify new individuals and groups to participate in education, recreation, or service opportunities centered around land access and conservation.
Members serve as: Land Stewardship Coordinators, Regional Conservation Coordinators, Youth Education Coordinators, or Community Engagement Coordinators.
These 1,700 hour AmeriCorps positions receive a living allowance, education award, and additional AmeriCorps benefits. The 2017-2018 program will run from 8/28/17 – 7/27/18.
Application specifics, position descriptions, and information about organizations hosting TerraCorps members can be found at here.
Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.
AmeriCorps programs provide equal service opportunities. TerraCorps will recruit and select persons in all positions to ensure a diverse and inclusive climate without regard to any particular status. We encourage applications from individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations for interviews and service upon request. TerraCorps is a grant program of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Various Positions – The Manice Education Center (MEC)
Florida, MA
The Manice Education Center (MEC) is intentionally located in a unique outdoor setting within the heart of the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts. MEC operates several distinctly different seasonal programs that are experientially focused in high-quality environmental education, wilderness camping, and leadership training.
Summer Outdoor educators will lead wilderness expeditions for campers & can expect to guide an average of 6 backpacking and/or canoeing trips, ranging from 2 to 5 days in length. Expedition locations inlude the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail, Savoy Mountain State Forest, Taconic Trail, Battenkill River, Deerfield River, & Connecticut River. Educators receive training in backpacking and wilderness navigation, participate in a 2 day professional canoe clinic, & can earn free certifications in Wildernes First Aid and/or Waterfront Lifeguarding.
APPLY TODAY – SEND US A COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO EMPLOYMENT@CHRISTODORA.ORG
For more details please visit our Jobs page (click here).
Please share this opportunity with your friends and colleagues! If you have any questions about employment in Christodora programs, please contact Matthew Scholl, Programs Director at 413.663.8463 or email us at employment@christodora.org
In-Lieu Fee Program Administrator
MassCareers Job Number 170003IV
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is accepting applications for their new In-Lieu Fee (ILF) Program Administrator position. The ILF Program Administrator will be responsible for developing a comprehensive framework for ILF Program planning and implementation including: identification, prioritization, selection, review, and approval of proposed mitigation projects; monitoring and tracking implementation, performance, and completion of approved mitigation projects; and managing all financial, accounting, budgeting, and reporting activities and requirements related to DFG’s administration of the ILF Program consistent with Department policies and the ILF Program Instrument. The ILF Program Administrator is a position within the Office of the Commissioner but will also work collaboratively and in partnership with staff from the Division of Ecological Restoration, Division of Marine Fisheries, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the agency’s Land Protection Program.
For additional information and details about the ILF Program Administrator position, and to apply, please visit the MassCareers Job Opportunities website and search for Job Number 170003IV or click here. The job is open until filled. However, applicants within the first two weeks typically receive preference. For additional information about DFG’s In-Lieu Fee Program click here.
Questions? Please contact Christy Edwards at christy.edwards@state.ma.us or 617-626-1518.
Volunteer Opportunities with The Trustees
“Time travel” with The Trustees, and take our visitors on the voyage with you! Become a National Historic Landmark Greeter at Mission House (Stockbridge) or Tour Guide at the William Cullen Bryant Homestead (Cummington) and share the stories and magic of these special places. No experience necessary. Training provided. Fridays through Sundays. Flexible. Fun. Social. Rewarding.
Visit www.thetrustees.org/volunteer or contact tbeasley@thetrustees.org or413.532.1631 ext. 3119 for more information.