October 15, 2015 Meeting Minutes - APPROVED

Upload file: 
PDF icon retf_minutes_10-15-2015.pdf
Meeting date: 
Thursday, October 15, 2015

Draft Meeting Minutes

October 15, 2015

7:05 pm

120 Washington Street, 3rd Floor

Attendees:  Jeff Elie, Jeff Cohen, John Hayes, Cindy Keegan, Jeff Barz-Snell, Craig Thomas, Rick Nye

Absent:

Public in Attendance: Shaunte Killam(MASSPIRG), Rachel Unger(MASSPIRG), Kimberly Barbosa(MASSPIRG), Tom Gale

 

Introduction – quick update on projects from Energy Manager

  • LED Streetlights – the City has begun the LED streetlight conversion this week and will replace all 3,300 overhead street lights in the City saving about $200,000 per year in energy costs and reducing the energy consumption by about 55%. Furthermore, the City has received a $350,000 rebate from National Grid and a $229,000 grant from the Department of Energy Resources Green Communities Grant Program to  offset the total cost of the project ($1.4 Million)
  • Solar – High School and Bentley School projects are moving forward with feasibility study design by Tighe & Bond and the project is expected to break ground in Spring 2016. These two projects will put about 575 kw of solar PV in Salem, which the City will own, offset the energy use of those two buildings and generate solar renewable credit income.
  •  

General Discussion

Salem Municipal Aggregation Discussion – The Task Force discussed the pricing and renewable energy initial bid submitted by Bay State Consultants and Peregrine Energy. The options were:

  1. 100% green energy blend: - 5% from new New England wind projects - 74% from hydroelectric projects in Maine - 21% from a mix of clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, and landfill gas, in compliance with the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS)
  2. 100% green energy blend: - 20% from new New England wind projects - 59% from hydroelectric projects in Maine - 21% from a mix of clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, and landfill gas, in compliance with the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS)
  3. Meets Massachusetts renewable energy requirements. - 21% from a mix of clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, and landfill gas, in compliance with the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS)
  4. 100% Green Energy Blend – 79% Maine hydro power - 21% from a mix of clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, and landfill gas, in compliance with the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS)

 

 

The RETF agreed that in order to support the creation of more renewable energy in the region it would be most impactful to recommend making the 20% Wind option the default option even though it would cost the rate payers a slight increase per kilowatt hour. Because the 5% wind and the majority hydro power, which is a Class 2 renewable resource, the RETF would not be suggesting the option that would increase the wind energy renewable industry in New England. RETF voted to write a letter with recommendation to the Mayor for the 20% Wind energy option (option 2 from above choices).

 

Future Meetings

  • Next meeting will be held on December 17th, 2015 at 7pm.

 

Adjournment

            8:03 PM