PIONEER VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY PLAN · • Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan energy future, we certainly did encounter differences of opinion on what this plan should include. We do not

PIONEER VALLEYCLEAN ENERGY PLAN

January 2008

Prepared by the Pioneer Valley Renewable Energy Collaborative

The plan and appendices are available at www.pvpc.org and www.frcog.org

PIONEER VALLEY

CLEAN ENERGY PLAN

January 2008

Prepared by thePioneer Valley Renewable Energy Collaborative

Staff assistance provided by thePioneer Valley Planning Commission

and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments

Funding assistance provided by the Renewable Energy Trustof the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 1

Introduction 3

Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Goals 5

Goal One: Reduce Energy Use 5Goal Two: Replace Fossil Fuels 7Goal Three: Reduce Global Climate Change Emissions 8Goal Four: Create Local Jobs 9

Projects 11

Guiding Principles 11Selection Criteria 13

Implementation 14

Characteristics of Implementation 14Action Items 15Barriers 21Siting Issues 21

Energy Options 24

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Potential 25Renewable Energy Potential 27Wind 27Landfill Gas/Co-Generation 31Hydropower 31Solar Electric Photovoltaic 32Biomass 33Biofuels 34

Where Do We Go From Here? 35

Community Adoption Process 35Evaluation 35Comprehensive Action and Contact Information 36

Acknowledgements •

PIONEER

VALLEY

PLANNING

COMMISSIONP V P C

Acknowledgements

Many people have been working on this plan for thelast three years. We wish to thank every one whohelped. Some people conducted research, whileothers analyzed data. Many people reviewed draftchapters of the plan and participated in the develop-ment of elements comprising it. People came toeducational sessions, shared their ideas on-line orengaged in on-the-ground efforts. Some volunteerswent the extra mile. These people include MeleahGeertsma, Kate Neuner, Patricia Canavan, StanSwiercz, Brittany Smith, Tom Murray, David Celataand Co-op Power staff. Without their work, wewould not have made as much progress with thisplan as we did.

We especially want to thank all the people in thePioneer Valley Renewable Energy Collaborative fortheir many hours spent in meetings, in person,online and on the phone. They helped us all tounderstand more deeply our dependence on petro-leum and nuclear-based energy, our need to highlightefficiency, the possibilities and limitations of windand biomass, and the need for focusing on clean orcarbon-neutral energy. In short, they helped us torecognize the opportunity represented in our collec-tive efforts here in the Valley and the possibility thatby working in partnerships we can find a better wayof relating to the earth through our collective andindividual energy choices. They are:

Bart Bales, Bales EnergyLynn Benander, Co-op PowerNatalie Blais, Congressman OlverGordon Boyce, Massachusetts Department of

Conservation and RecreationDwayne Breger, Massachusetts Division of Energy

ResourcesDon Campbell, Campbell Assoc

Marybeth Campbell, Massachusetts TechnologyCollaborative (MTC)

David Caputo, Positronic DesignDavid Cash, Massachusetts Executive Office of

Energy and Environmental AffairsStephanie Ciccarello, Town of AmherstTina Clarke, Clean Water ActionLaura Dubester, Center for Ecological Technology

(CET)Jonathan Edwards, SmartPowerJohn Fabel, EntrepreneurWayne Feiden, City of NorthamptonKristen Goland, MTCCarol Jolly, VolunteerKaren Jones, Pioneer Valley Electric Automobile

Association (PVEAA)Teresa Jones, Greenfield Community CollegePaul Lipke, Sustainable Step New EnglandPeggy MacLeod, CETNancy Nylen, CETRobert Rizzo, Mt Wachusett Community CollegeTom Rossmassler, HAP Inc.Stan Swiercz, VolunteerJohn Walsh, Western Massachusetts Electric

Company (WMECO)Sally Wright, University of Massachusetts

Renewable Energy Research Laboratory

We are also extremely grateful to the MassachusettsTechnology Collaborative www.mtpc.org, and ourgrant contacts, Kristen Goland and MarybethCampbell, for funding this initiative.

Thank you,Catherine Miller, Pioneer Valley PlanningCommissionBill Labich and Peggy Sloan, Franklin RegionalCouncil of Governments

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• Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan2

Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan •

Introduction

We began this planning process, with funding fromthe Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC),focused on how to encourage the development ofnew renewable energy in the form of electricity inthe Pioneer Valley while planning for a sustainableenergy future for our region. We developed this goalout of a year-long effort to identify regulatorybarriers to renewable electricity in the Pioneer Valley.Over the two year planning process, we learned thatwe could not develop a clean energy plan in thePioneer Valley without addressing energy for heatand transport, so this plan addresses all energyneeds. We are grateful to the MTC for their financialand technical support. Our methods includedresearch, education, surveys, stakeholder analysis,participatory planning, and provision of technicalassistance to advance specific projects.

During the three years spent facilitating the develop-ment of this plan, the plan authors learned six keylessons. They are all important and we hope otherswho seek to replicate our planning process will learnfrom them.

Everyone involved in this planning process iscommitted to moving the region toward a sustain-able energy future. There was overwhelming supportthroughout the region for developing clean energysources and reducing emissions that cause globalwarming. We did conduct considerable research intothe problems of “dirty” energy and global warming,and you can find information in the resourcesincluded in our annotated bibliography/webliography. Even though we encountered noopposition on the need to act for a clean and safe

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Lessons learned:

Energy efficiency and conservation must be our first and primary goal.

Global warming is of growing concern to just about everyone, and we all want this plan to result in asignificant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the Valley.

We need to work toward eliminating our use of nuclear energy because of the threat it represents nowand in the future to all the region’s citizens.

The peaking of global oil supplies is another issue that, once acknowledged, changes the context for thisplan and for our communities in ways that we are still striving to understand.

New technologies will provide greater opportunities for achieving a cleaner energy future than what ispossible given current conditions. We understand that our current technologies may be considered gapmeasures until such time that even cleaner, more efficient measures and facilities can be adopted andsited in our region. But we know we must act now and we do not look to technology to save us, ratherwe understand it is part of the solution.

Energy planning encompasses energy used for electricity as well as energy for heating and transport. Wespent more time building regional consensus on electricity-specific goals than we did on goals pertain-ing to liquid fuels used for heat or transport, but the action recommendations included in this planapply to liquid fuels as well as electricity. As this plan is implemented, additional stakeholders from theworlds of transport and home heating should be included.

• Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan

energy future, we certainly did encounter differencesof opinion on what this plan should include.

We do not consider all energy sources the same. Themost cost efficient, carbon-free source of energy isthat which we do not use, thus efficiency andconservation together receive our highest priorityactions. Some sources of energy provide heat and hotwater and fuel for motor vehicles, while othersgenerate electricity. Some produce no carbon dioxidewhen operating, like solar photovoltaics, geother-mal, and wind turbines while others like wood-fueled biomass plants are considered carbon neutral.Nuclear energy and fossil fuels such as coal, naturalgas, and oil, produce numerous environmentalimpacts including air and water pollution. Fossilfuels produce greenhouse gas emissions, which arecausing global climate change. Our region’s success-ful transition to renewables and a clean energy futuremust begin with a multi-faceted approach: combin-ing efficiencies and conservation with the local

application of technologies that can provide the bestand most equitable distribution of energy (electricity,motor fuels, and heating fuels) with the least impactsto community health and the environment.

We hope you will take the time to read this plan, andsee it as a beginning. We have tackled some impor-tant issues and succeeded in involving hundreds ofpeople during the planning process. We initiated theregion’s first on-line participatory planning processusing innovative web-based software. We polledmunicipal officials and designed educational sessionsto meet their energy information needs. We co-sponsored events and helped to promote local energycommittees. We identified thresholds to impacts ofdifferent clean energy technologies as a precursor tosupporting cities and towns to better attract theenergy developments most consistent with their ownplans and policies. And, we agreed, as a collabora-tion of organizations, agencies, and individuals, toencourage a certain number of clean energy generat-ing facilities in our communities.

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Pioneer ValleyClean Energy Goals

To achieve a sustainable energy future for thePioneer Valley we must reduce our energy use anduse energy more efficiently. We need a strong andcontinuous commitment to efficiency and conserva-tion. At the same time, energy efficiency and conser-vation alone cannot reduce our greenhouse gasemissions and avoid the effects of climate change.We also need to replace our fossil fuel use withrenewable energy sources like wind, solar, geother-mal, low impact hydro, biomass and bio-fuels. Ouractions must also address another critical issueconfronting societies across the globe: the end ofcheap liquid fossil fuels. Thus, this plan focuses onactions that promote and develop clean energygeneration in the region that increases the localcirculation of profits generated from proposeddevelopments to support a regional clean energyeconomy—creating many new local business andemployment opportunities.

The goals of the Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Planwere developed through a participatory planningprocess overseen by a group of clean energy experts.They were set within the context of existing state,federal and international clean energy plans andpolicies.

Goal One: Reduce our region’s energy consump-tion to 2000 levels by the end of 2009 and reducethat by 15 percent between 2010-2020.

Goal Two: Site sufficient new capacity to gener-ate 214 million kilowatt hours of clean energyannually in the Pioneer Valley by the end of 2009and another 440 million kilowatt hours per yearby 2020.

Goal Three: Reduce our region’s greenhouse gasemissions by 80 percent below year 2000 levelsby 2050.

Goal Four: Create local jobs in the clean energysector.

Goal One: Reduce Energy Use

Reduce our region’s energy consumption to 2000levels by the end of 2009 and reduce that by 15percent between 2010-2020 while supporting thegrowth of new business and industry.

Focusing our energy reduction efforts on energyused during peak periods will yield the greatestsavings because that power is the most expensive. Ifwe use less power during peak periods, we can avoidbuilding new plants to meet growing peak energydemand periods. If for one hour a day the regionneeds five times the energy it usually uses, the regionwill have to build power plants that have the capac-ity to generate five times what it usually uses. Allthat capacity sitting around just waiting to be used isexpensive.

Energy audits can now identify specific ways busi-ness, industry and homes can invest in efficiencymeasures that will repay the investment in 1-3 yearsand significantly reduce energy use and utility costs.

According to the Northeast Energy EfficiencyPartnerships Inc. (www.neep.org), further efficiencysavings are both possible and economical. In NewEngland investing in efficiency improvements over aten-year time period could result in savings of 28percent of the total peak summer capacity and 37percent of the capacity represented by plants usingfossil fuels within the New England Power Pool.

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THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK:

Energy efficiency improvements cost 33

percent of the cost to generate power.

It costs 3 cents to save a kilowatt-hour and

9 cents to generate it.

Source: Massachusetts DOER, October 2007.


Additional studies conducted by the MassachusettsDivision of Energy Resources demonstrate thatenergy efficiency improvements cost 33 percent ofthe cost to generate power. In other words 3 centsper kilowatt-hour for efficiency compared to 9 centsfor power generation. It is estimated that energyefficiency measures will save consumers $65-$87million due to lower wholesale supply costs and $1.2billion in lifetime cost savings from the installationof efficient products.

How was this goal established? Our first goal focuseson energy efficiency and energy conservation be-cause they reduce energy use, energy costs, and theenvironmental impact of energy generation. Energy

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Source: American Solar Energy Society, Jan 2007

Heat recoveryMore efficient motors and drivesThe use of cogeneration(also called combined heatand power or CHP) systemsthat provide both heat andelectricity

Better building envelope designDaylightingMore efficient artificial lightingBetter efficiency standards forbuilding components andappliances

Reduced drivingLighter-weight vehiclesPublic transitImproved aerodynamicsMore efficient propulsionsystems, e.g. hybrid vehicles

Industry30%

Buildings40%

Transportation30%

Figure 2: Where Will Our Energy Reductions Come From?

conservation and efficiency are the best use of anydollars we can invest in our energy future. We beganthis planning process with a clean energy generationgoal and designed the energy reduction goals tomatch the new clean generation goal.

At this time we do not have energy use data for thePioneer Valley. As a substitute measure, since thePioneer Valley has one-tenth the population ofMassachusetts, we have taken one tenth of theenergy use for Massachusetts as a rough approxima-tion of the Pioneer Valley’s energy use.

Above is the energy use reduction schedule we willneed to meet in 2009 and 2020 to achieve this goal.

Electricity Used Energy Used in the Non-electric Energyin the Pioneer Valley for Used for Heating

Pioneer Valley Transportation in the Pioneer Valley

(million kilowatt hours) (trillion btu’s) (trillion btu’s)

Most Current 5.72 (2005 data) 41.88 (2004 data) 43.15 (2004 data)Available Data*

2009 Goal 5.18 39.43 49.23(2000 levels)

2020 Goal 4.40 33.52 41.85(15% below2000 levels)

* We do not have 2007 data, but we believe it is likely higher than 2004 or 2005. We need more and better data to quantify energy use reduction goals.

Figure 1: Energy Use Reduction Schedule



The main “reservoirs” of economical efficiencypotential are in lighting and heating in residential,commercial and industrial markets and in transpor-tation efficiencies.

Goal Two: Replace Fossil Fuels

Site sufficient new capacity to generate 214 millionkilowatt hours of clean energy annually in thePioneer Valley by the end of 2009 and another 440million kilowatt hours by 2020.

Our second goal calls for us to replace the energywe’re using from non-renewable sources with clean,renewable energy generated here in the PioneerValley. When we use renewable energy instead ofnon-renewable energy like oil, coal, propane naturalgas and gasoline, we keep our air cleaner and reduceour contribution to global warming. When we uselocally produced energy, we’re supporting our localeconomy and reducing our dependence on foreignoil. “Clean energy” is defined by the MassachusettsTechnology Collaborative as solar, wind, low impacthydro, and biomass-fueled facilities that meet allMassachusetts Department of Environmental Protec-tion requirements. We have also established ProjectSelection Criteria that further define the characteris-tics of a clean energy generation project that wouldbest meet this goal.

How was this goal established? The Commonwealthof Massachusetts established a goal to meet 4% of itselectricity consumption (roughly 750 megawatts)with new clean energy by 2009 in their RenewablePortfolio Standard. Since the Pioneer Valley is hometo approximately 10 percent of the Commonwealth’spopulation, we decided, at first, to assume responsi-bility for 10 percent of the state goal, or 75 MW.However, people surveyed wanted a more ambitiousgoal and they wanted us to include fuels for heatingand transportation in addition to electricity produc-tion, so we increased the goals to 100 megawatts ofcapacity. Fuels for heating and transportation areusually measured in btu’s, but we’re measuringeverything in megawatts for ease of understanding.

Our goals are expressed in the units of kilowatt-hours (i.e. units of energy as opposed to units ofpower, rates, or capacity in kilowatts) because boththe cost and the impacts are correlated with kilo-watt-hours. This allows costs and benefits to becompared across technologies. When one compares

the cost of energy produced by various technologies,one compares cents per kilowatt-hour, as shown inthe chart on page 8. And when one looks at theimpacts of electricity generated with fossil fuels, forinstance, emissions are expressed in pounds perkilowatt-hour or per megawatt-hour (see, forexample, ISO New England’s New England MarginalEmission Rate Analysis http://www.iso-ne.com/genrtion_resrcs/reports/emission/2004_mea_report.pdf) .

To meet this goal, we can build new facilities togenerate electricity from solar, wind, low impacthydro, and biomass. We can build new heatingsystems powered by solar hot water, biomass, andgeothermal energy. We can build new biofuel plantsto produce renewable transportation and heatingfuels. How many of each will be determined by:

• local government and state regulators through thepermitting process,

• how much money is available to invest in theseresources (some resources are more expensivethan others),

• who is ready to make these investments,

• our state and federal policies that provide incen-tives and establish regulations that can eitherpromote or inhibit development, and

• the inherent advantages and disadvantages ofeach type of clean power.

See the Energy Options section for informationabout each clean energy option.

The table on the following page shows energyproduction costs from currently available technolo-gies. The table is designed to help us compare thetotal societal costs involved in building each type ofenergy system. It shows why we will likely choose tomeet our goal with a mix of energy resources, giventhe advantages and disadvantages of each energyoption. We probably cannot meet our goal, forexample, with 100% solar power, since the costs areso high here in New England where the sun doesn’tshine all the time. We probably cannot meet ourgoal, for example, with 100% biomass plants, sincewe need to be able to determine that the woodrequired could be harvested in a sustainable manner,and since there are many concerns about the emis-sions from these plants. As renewable energy genera-tion technology develops, our choices will increase.

7


The costs provided in this table do not reflect anyincentives from federal or state policies which willimprove project costs and economics, but the tabledoes accurately reflect the relative costs and econom-ics of the alternative technologies.

Goal Three: Reduce Global Climate

Change Emissions

Reduce our region’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80percent below year 2000 levels by 2050.

Research on climate change concludes that the worldmust reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% of2000 levels by the year 2050. The MassachusettsClimate Protection Plan is no different. It calls forthe state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to1990 levels by the year 2010 and then to reducegreenhouse gas emissions 10% below 1990 levels bythe year 2020, working toward a 75-85% reductionbelow current levels. Bill McKibben’s Step-it-Upaction calls for a reduction of 80% of our greenhousegas emissions by 2050. The Union of ConcernedScientists calls for the same goal as does the UnitedNations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC).

Since the Pioneer Valley is home to 10% of the State’spopulation, we’ve taken on 10% of the state’s goal forgreenhouse gas emission reductions. We need toreduce emissions according to this schedule in thePioneer Valley.

People participating in the planning process and theexperts guiding the planning process believe climatechange is the most important issue of our century.

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Figure 4: Greenhouse Gas Gross Emissions in the

Pioneer Valley in million metric tons of CO2

equivalent (including CO2, methane and NOx)

2000 9.062003 9.582007 projections 10.18*2010 Goal 9.602020 Goal 7.652030 Goal 5.702040 Goal 3.762050 Goal 1.81

* if increases continued between 2003 and 2007 as they did between 1999 and 2003

Capacity Energy Produced Approx. Capital Annualized

Capacity Factor per Year Cost to Build Energy Cost*

(MW) (thousand kWh) (cents/kWh)

Annualized cost are calculated for a term of 20 years at a 5% discount rate. For the biomass plants, assumes afuel cost at $25/ton for green wood and annual O&M expenditure of 4% capital cost. For the biodiesel plant,assumes a $2/gal feedstock and operational cost.

Electric Generation

Large Utility Biomass Plant 50 0.85 372,300 $135,000,000 7.80

Community Scale Biomass Plant 5 0.75 32,850 $17,500,000 10.70

Small Commercial Wind 3 0.25 6,570 $7,500,000 9.20

Residential Solar Electric 0.002 0.14 2 $17,000 55.60

Non-Electric Energy

Small Commercial 10 million gallons 1.3 trillion BTUs, $8,500,000 5.43Biodiesel Plant per year production equiv. to 381,000

thousand kWh thermal

Residential Solar Hot Water 3 panel 4 hours of 30 million BTUs, $8,000 7.30system full sun per equiv. to 215 gals.

day (average of heating oil,over year) or 8,792 kWh

Figure 3: Energy production and costs from currently available technologies




Given this testimony, it is clear that we need to joinforces with the Union of Concerned Scientistswww.ucsusa.org , the United Nations Intergovern-mental Panel on Climate Change www.ipcc.ch,ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainabilitywww.iclei.org , the New England Governors’ Confer-ence on Climate Change www.negc.org, and otherglobal climate change organizations. As this plan isimplemented and as our region uses less energy andreplaces carbon-based energy with clean energy, wewill help in the fight against climate change.

Goal Four: Create Local Jobs

Create local jobs in the growing clean energy sectorwith a focus on living wage opportunities.

Locally-owned businesses contribute more to localeconomies than largeglobal corporations,whose profits may leavefor home offices outsidethe state. New Englandhas relied on manufactur-ing jobs in the past. It iseasy to see the potentialvalue of local cleanenergy facilities for ourregion’s 69 communities.The money we pay forconventional energy andfuel costs are quicklysent out of a localeconomy. Renewableenergy and energyefficiency keep more ofthose dollars in a localcommunity.

This plan envisions the rebirth of manufacturing inthe region, with a focus on energy efficiency tech-nologies and clean energy production. Moreover, thisplan anticipates small businesses and venture capitalprojects that spin-off from solutions to energyproblems explored by the region’s colleges anduniversities. New clean energy-based local busi-nesses would work together with improvements intransportation, home construction, energy efficiencyand conservation, and energy production to buildthe region’s economy and sustain communities in thePioneer Valley.

In August, 2007 the Massachusetts TechnologyCollaborative (MTC) released a report summarizingthe results of a survey they funded of the cleanenergy sector in Massachusetts. According to thereport, the clean energy sector, which GovernorDeval Patrick has identified as a key emergingindustry for Massachusetts, is about to overtaketextiles as the 10th largest in the Commonwealth.

The census, prepared by Global Insight of Lexingtonfor MTC’s Renewable Energy Trust, identified 556entities engaged in renewable energy; energy effi-ciency and demand response; consulting and sup-port; and university research related to clean energy.Employment in these firms, most of which are youngand small, was estimated at 14,400. With an annualjob growth rate of 20 percent projected by industryexecutives, clean energy will soon pass the textileindustry, which now employs 15,400 people, as the

10th largest clustertracked by the Index ofthe MassachusettsInnovation Economy,which is published byMTC’s John AdamsInnovation Institute.

Research conducted in2005 by the MontanaState University Centerfor Applied EconomicResearch concluded that abiodiesel refinery inRoosevelt County Mon-tana producing 15 milliongallons of biodiesel peryear would create 31 jobsin the refinery with $1.5million a year in direct

labor income and 158 indirect jobs with $5.5 millionin business to business transactions. If that sameplant operates using oil from locally grown oil seedcrops, 354 jobs would be created with $10.2 millionin direct labor income and 567 indirect jobs createdwith $10.5 million in business to business transac-tions. They concluded that it was important to keepthe investment local to invigorate and sustain thelocal economy. (www.msubillings.edu/CAER)

The Pioneer Valley, with its wealth of institutions ofhigher education, has the potential to be a cluster ofclean energy technology. With support from organi-

9

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative,

which administers the Renewable Energy Trust,

worked with the University of Massachusetts

Boston to analyze these growing sectors. The

research shows approximately 8,000 jobs in

energy efficiency and 2,000 in renewable energy

companies in Massachusetts. Economic growth

and venture investment in these sectors around

the country and around the world points toward

significant job creation potential of what is

commonly referred to as the “clean energy”

sector or in the broader sense, “cleantech”.

From “Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy,and Jobs in Massachusetts: A Growing

Opportunity for Massachusetts” MTC p. 2


zations like MassVentures http://www.massventures.com, in conjunction with research conducted at theUniversity of Massachusetts and other institutions,many jobs could be created in the clean energyresearch and business development fields. There is aneed for increased funding for the Renewable EnergyResearch Lab (RERL) http://www.ceere.org/rerl/ andan expansion of its charter, in addition to expandedfunding of technology transfer to the commercialsector.

There is a cutting-edge effort by our state’s Commu-nity Colleges and some secondary technical schoolsto educate and train people in the various skill-areasnecessary to fuel the clean energy transition. Conser-vative preliminary estimates of future high-payingjobs for energy technicians in the Pioneer Valley overthe next three years (2007-2009) are 110 positions. Inaddition, there should beapproximately 60 intern-ship opportunities avail-able annually from localclean energy employers.

Bigger isn’t always betterwhen it comes to sustain-able energy. The PioneerValley is host to severallarge scale renewableproject developments andthe Clean Energy Planning Process recognizes theimportant role such development may play inmeeting some of our goals. There was, however, astrong consensus among people participating in theClean Energy Planning Process that they preferred tohave green businesses, especially wind and biomassbusinesses, that are smaller in scale and owned bymunicipalities, local non-profits, locally-ownedbusinesses, or cooperatives. This preference forsmall, locally-owned business development issometimes confusing to government and businessleaders charged with addressing the large-scaledevelopment required to address the challenges ofclimate change and peak oil, but there is a large bodyof evidence that these local businesses bring morelong-term value to a community than their largercounterparts.

Most cities and towns in Western Massachusettshave experienced the exodus of larger manufacturersthey helped build with their labor and good will.

Those businesses which left often severely impactedthe local community as many jobs were lost. In ourcommunity hearings on the plan, many residentssaid they did not want large companies owning thewind power from their ridge tops, spoiling theirviews with machinery they might eventually aban-don once they had made their money.

There is research that shows local businesses can bea better option for building local economies, ensur-ing high labor and environmental standards, andretaining assets in the community. “Large firms areresponsible for more than 42 percent of the economy,and place-based jobs account for at least 58 percent,”according to Michael Shuman in his book” SmallMart Revolution: How Local Businesses are Beating theGlobal Competition. He goes on to say that becauselocal businesses do not move, they do not cost thecommunity in lost jobs, abandoned buildings, lowerproperty values, tax cuts, and reduced town services;but instead, they are long term wealth generators intheir communities. Local firms have stronger envi-ronmental and labor standards because the commu-nity is better able to shape its laws and regulationswithout their employers threatening to move. Localfirms have local management, use local businessservices, advertise locally, and share profits locally.They spend two to four times more than non-localbusinesses within their community and within theirstate, recirculating capital within the community.

There was a strong consensus among people partici-pating in the Clean Energy planning process thatthey wanted state and local governments to focussustainable energy business development on locallyowned small businesses that contribute to their localeconomies and are more likely to keep the local jobsand assets developed in their communities. There arebusiness models where investors can partner withlocal businesses, cooperatives, non-profits andmunicipalities to create many of the new greenbusinesses called for in this plan and take advantageof the tax credits in place to support these efforts. Amajority of the people participating in the goal-setting process strongly preferred that our publicresources be prioritized to support local community-ownership of our sustainable energy resources usinga wide variety of business models.

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Projects

Guiding Principles

Virtually no one who participated in this planningprocess disagreed with the need for the region tohost some clean energy generating facilities. PioneerValley residents knowledgeable about one or more ofthe technologies involved, including biomass, low-impact hydro, photovoltaic, wind, and bio-fuels,agree that, combined withcomprehensive energyefficiency programs, thesiting of new clean energypower facilities in theregion is critical. However,broad agreement endsthere. There is a con-tinuum of opinion regard-ing the application of eachtechnology as it is sited onthe ground.

Recognizing this diversityof opinion, we usedour participatory on-lineplanning process, supple-mented with in-personmeetings, advice from ourAdvisory Committee, andconsiderable research, to create a set of overarchingprinciples that reflect the plan’s goals and whichwere used as the foundation for the development ofour project selection criteria. In addition, in thewebliography we provide references for a compre-hensive analysis of the true cost of every means ofenergy production under consideration. For ex-ample, the costs of extracting and transportinguranium and managing depleted radioactive fuelsmust be factored into the cost analysis of nuclearpower. Similarly, the manufacturing costs of solarphotovoltaic panels must be factored into the costsof solar power. Life cycle analysis allows for an

11

accurate comparison of possible clean energysources.

On the following page are the Clean Energy GuidingPrinciples that were developed and prioritizedthrough our online, participatory planning process.

In an April 2007 survey,325 people gave a finalreview of these guidingprinciples and endorsedthem resoundingly.4 Theselection criteria, whichare described later on inthis section, are offered,like the guiding prin-ciples, as a guide toimplementers of this planon how to design aproject, program, orpolicy that will be mostappropriate and thereforemost acceptable to thecommunities in thePioneer Valley. We mustnote that the field of

clean energy and solutions to global warming is in astate of rapid change—new technologies are beingimagined, researched, and developed all the time.We do not know all the means which may eventuallybe used here in the Pioneer Valley to move us to aclean and safe energy future. We know that currenttechnologies have some limitations, but we alsorecognize the need to act now, and so we acceptsolutions today that may be replaced in the future.And we commit to staying abreast of state-of-the-artknowledge, skills and applications regarding energytechnology, information and understanding. We alsopledge to update this plan as resources allow.

“Governor Patrick intends to make Massa-

chusetts a national and global leader in clean

energy because he sees it as an economic

opportunity as well as an environmental ne-

cessity,” said Secretary of Energy and Envi-

ronmental Affairs Ian Bowles. “This census

shows that the clean energy sector is off to

a good start in Massachusetts. We need the

industry to make itself heard, and we in state

government need to put in place the regu-

latory incentives that will make Massachu-

setts a place where demand for clean en-

ergy technologies and products will grow.”

Source: MTC, August 2007.


Our Clean Energy Guiding Principles:

• Reduce energy consumption through conservation and efficiency.

• Reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

• Reduce greenhouse gases.

• Protect and improve the environment and the quality of life in the Pioneer Valley.

• Increase use of solar, wind, small hydro, clean biomass, and clean fuels technologiesproduced in community-scale facilities.

• Increase local and community-ownership (municipal, membership based non-profits,co-ops, etc.) of renewable energy resources so that profits can remain local and so thataffordable energy resources will be available for generations to come.

• Increase access to people from all income levels and encourage a sustainable supply ofclean energy with benefit to everyone in the community.

• Focus government resources and policies on supporting the cleanest forms of energyand efficiency, making financing of residential and community-scale energy projectseasy, affordable, and accessible to all income levels.

• Reduce dependence on nuclear energy.

• Promote a comprehensive public transportation system including expansion of buslines, public rail transportation, shuttles, car sharing, and safe bike routes and side-walks and pedestrian paths with an emphasis on energy efficiency and use of renew-able fuels.

• Increase urban infill in order to make communities more pedestrian friendly andenergy efficient.

• Encourage farmers and large land owners to preserve open space through develop-ment of energy production as an additional income stream (such as wind, small hydro,solar, or generation of methane gas from manure to generate electricity or to helpproduce clean bio-fuels).

• Make the Pioneer Valley one of the leaders in the Country for producing clean energyand improving energy technology.

• Support sustainable local economies that provide living wage employment opportuni-ties and support business and economic growth.

Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan • 13

(Footnote)4 90% (292 people) supported these principles

(74% without qualification and 16% (52 people) withreservations; 10% (33 people) opposed these principles.

Selection Criteria

The guiding principles set the parameters for ourclean energy universe. Next we developed specificcriteria that can be used by community members,project developers, and interested parties to selectthe most appropriate clean energy projects. Theseselection criteria define the attributes of a project,program, or policy that, when met, reflect themajority of the overarching principles listed in theprevious section. In light of the diversity of view-points, this Plan presents the following selectioncriteria to define the attributes of a project that willlikely receive community support and be successful.

Our Clean Energy Selection Criteria:

• Does the action reduce fossil fuel or nuclear energy use?

• Does the action involve a clean renewable technology? “(Clean” as defined by theMassachusetts Technology Collaborative ––includes–solar, wind, small low impacthydro, and biomass-fueled facilities that meet all DEP requirements.)

• Does the action involve a community-scale facility with the following characteristics?

Does it promote community ownership of renewable energy resources?

Does it support small businesses with fewer than 20 employees? (There waswidespread preference for renewable energy projects that provide energy to a singleuser or district within a municipality or regionally if owned by a municipality,cooperative, non-profit or locally-owned business.)

• Does the action increase employment, gross sales, and patents generated by renewableenergy-related businesses in the Pioneer Valley? Does it create local jobs with a livingwage?

• Does the action increase the affordability of clean energy to low and moderate-incomehouseholds?

• If involving transportation, does the strategy promote an expansion of public transpor-tation, pedestrian opportunities, bicycle use, alternative fuels, and zero or low- emis-sion vehicle use?

• Will a farmer or large landowner (> 50 acres) find it easier to maintain their open landdue to benefits from this action?

• Will the action maintain the water, air, vegetation, wildlife habitat, and other naturalresources inherent to the site and the surrounding region?

• Can the action be implemented within two to three years?

Does the strategy have strong local proponents?

Is it consistent with existing local and regional plans?

Does the action have identified funding sources?


Implementation

To implement this plan, a concerted effort must betaken by many sectors of our community. Thissection provides guidance and recommendations forexecution of this plan. To begin, five characteristicsfor implementation are detailed. These characteris-tics should help readers envision the execution ofthe Clean Energy Plan. In addition, specific actionitems are provided for each target audience, provid-ing specific guidance for how each group can helpexecute this plan.

Characteristics of Implementation

1) Collective Action

This plan provides a broad overview of how thePioneer Valley Region can reduce its total energyconsumption and increase its production of cleanenergy. Moreover, the plan identifies actions to betaken at all levels: municipalities, regional planningagencies, businesses, nonprofits, energy committees,individuals, and the collaborative itself. In order forthis plan to succeed, appropriate action must betaken at all levels. Following the release of this planin January 2008, staff at PVPC and FRCOG will bemeeting with select boards or city councils andmayors in the 69 communities of the Pioneer Valleyto seek endorsement of a non-binding memorandumof agreement (MOA) that the city or town will dotheir part to implement this plan (copy available inAppendix and at www.pvpc.org and www.frcog.org).

2) Immediate Action

The ambitious goals detailed in the previous sectionprovide a strong motivation for immediate action.The need for quick implementation is reinforced bythe lengthy planning period and high capital costsassociated with various measures. Consequently, inorder to satisfy the goals of a 15 percent reduction intotal energy consumption and a 15 percent reductionin the use of dirty energy, representatives from all

sectors should begin implementation as soon aspossible. Implementers are encouraged to start withthe traditional “low hanging fruit” of energy effi-ciency, use reduction, and conservation—changinglightbulbs, sealing and insulation, and behavior andprocess modifications that do not require significantcapital outlays. In addition, implementers areencouraged to take advantage of funding wheneverpossible, recognizing that the broad goals of energyefficiency, clean energy development, reduction ingreenhouse gas emissions, and job creation, cover avery broad range of potential funding opportunities.

3) Parallel Action

To ensure an immediate and collective response,implementation of this plan should not be linear.Instead, actions can and should be taken simulta-neously at all levels to produce a timely and compre-hensive response.

4) Evaluation

Many of the goals presented in this plan havequantifiable outcomes. As a result, in order toproperly implement this plan, a system that quanti-fies regional energy use and the savings yielded bycertain measures should be constructed. Thissystem will allow the region to measure and reassessthe effectiveness of this plan and modify it asnecessary.

If every household in the region (over263,000 as of the US Census) changed allthe light bulbs that are used for at least fourhours a day to compact florescent lights(CFLs), it would result in savings of200GWh/year. If every business alsoswitched to CFLs, the resulting savingswould total 450 GWh/year of energy.

Implementation •

5) Collaboration

Due to the nonlinear process outlined above, a highlevel of coordination and communication is neededbetween sectors to ensure the effective implementa-tion of the plan. This collaboration will allowvarious sectors to share information, resources, andsupport.

Action Items

Municipalities:

• Become an ICLEI Local Governments forSustainability Cities for Climate Protection (CCP)member either as a municipality or as part of aregional planning agency.

• Endorse the clean energy policy statementadopted by PVPC and FRCOG.

• Consider hosting or owning a clean energygenerating system or plant in your communitywhere resources and environmental conditionsallow. Factors to consider include the availabilityof close biomass resources and water power,adequate wind, and access to the sun, and prox-imity to transmission lines. In addition, considerthe land’s appropriateness as a site for energyproduction. Is the land not protected or awaitingprotection and not of cultural or historic impor-tance?

• Conduct energy audits (if not conducted in thelast two years) and work with PVPC and FRCOG(as appropriate) to apply for MTC small renew-able funds (or equivalent) to implement effi-ciency and conservation measures identified inaudit.

• Consider a performance contract with an energyservice company (ESCO), using performancecontracting to conduct comprehensive energyaudits of all municipal buildings, and implementrecommendations at no upfront cost to commu-nity—funded via savings accrued by implement-ing energy efficiency measures.

• Adopt bylaws or ordinances to require or giveincentives to encourage green buildings, energyefficiency, renewable energy production, publictransportation, smart growth, clean fuels, efficientvehicles, and sustainable development.

• Include an energy element in your municipalities’comprehensive plan.

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• Consider using brownfield sites for renewableenergy development.

• Collaborate with PVPC and FRCOG to apply forfunds to implement this plan.

• Work with the western Massachusetts legislativedelegation to assure prompt adoption and imple-mentation of policy recommendations.

• Establish local residential building code tocomply minimally with Energy Star®.

• Purchase clean energy.

• Form an Energy Committee.

Energy Committees

• Collaborate with municipal planning and build-ing departments and boards to develop and adoptbylaws or ordinances, to require or give incen-tives to encourage green buildings, energyefficiency, renewable energy production, publictransportation, smart growth, clean fuels, efficientvehicles, and sustainable development.

• Work with municipal government to conductenergy audits, implement recommended improve-ments and build renewable energy systems.

• Seek funding to support appropriate siting andinstallation of renewable energy systems onmunicipal property and in the community.

• Collaborate with energy committees throughoutthe region to share ideas, lobby elected officials toassure prompt adoption and implementation ofthis plan’s policy recommendations, and continuethe development of a clean energy future for thePioneer Valley.

• Provide public education regarding clean energyin collaboration with non profits, advocacygroups, planning commissions, and educationalinstitutions.

Regional Planning Agencies

• Staff PVREC.

• Collaborate with members of the collaborative toassure plan implementation

• Take leadership role in securing funding to assistin implementation of planning-related recom-mendations.

• Support efforts of member municipalities to acton their recommendations.


Businesses

• Perform an energy audit within the next twoyears, if not done in the last 12 months, and everyfive years thereafter.

• Implement all feasible recommendations of yourenergy audit within two years.

• Participate in your municipality’s energy conser-vation and efficiency programs.

• Support green buildings, energy efficiency, smartgrowth, public transportation, clean fuels,efficient vehicles and sustainable development.

• Donate money to support local energy efficiencyefforts, including but not limited to compactfluorescent bulb sales, clean energy home tours,home installation workshops, home energyaudits, weatherizing, idling reduction programs,and solar hot water heater sales.

• Incorporate clean energy systems into all opera-tions including siting a clean energy system in oron your building or property

• Purchase clean energy.

Nonprofits/Advocacy Groups

• Perform an energy audit within the next twoyears, if not done in the last 12 months, and everyfive years thereafter.

• Implement feasible recommendations of yourenergy audit within two years.

• Participate in your municipality’s energy conser-vation and efficiency programs to the best of yourability.

• Support green buildings, energy efficiency, publictransportation, clean fuels, efficient vehicles, andsustainable development.

• Encourage municipalities, businesses, andresidents to build new renewable energy systems,become more energy efficient, and conserve moreenergy.

• Advocate for renewable energy and energyefficiency legislation.

• Provide public educational materials and semi-nars tailored for municipalities, businesses, andindividuals; continue public discussion regardinghow the region will respond to climate changeand the need to convert energy sources.

• Incorporate clean energy systems into all opera-tions including siting a clean energy system on

your building(s) or property and/or purchasingclean energy.

Individuals

• Request a free energy audit of your property(www.masssave.com) or contact your utilitycompany directly; implement as many recommen-dations as financially possible.

• Do what your can to reduce energy use, conserveenergy, promote energy efficiency and facilitateclean energy. Some actions to start with are:

Change light bulbs in residence to compactfluorescents.

Insulate pipes, heating ducts, walls, and attics.

If you have oil heat or kerosene, have itcleaned and tuned every summer, every twoyears if you use propane, and every three yearsif you have natural gas. Wood stoves shouldbe cleaned every year or replaced with acleaner heat source if they are not EPA-certified.

When purchasing appliances, purchase EnergyStar®.

Take shorter showers and smaller baths.

Keep vehicles well-tuned with tires inflatedcorrectly.

Carpool, walk, take the bus, or ride a bicyclewhenever possible.

Attend meetings via telephone or over theinternet instead of driving.

Live close to work or school.

Vote in favor of sustainable developmentprinciples and regulations, and/or initiateefforts to reform your local zoning to facilitateclean energy projects in your community andto promote smart growth.

Buy clean energy.

If you purchase a vehicle, purchase one that isenergy efficient.

Offset your greenhouse gas emissions usingideas from websites such aswww.nativeenergy.com, www.terrapass.com.

Use a whole house fan instead of a largecapacity window mount air conditionerbecause it uses less than a third of the energy.

Install a solar hot water system to heat yourwater.

Implementation • 17

• Look at Union of Concerned Scientists’ websitefor great specific actions at all levels for energyefficiency (http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/renewable_energy_basics/energy-solutions-to-fight-global-warming.html).

• Support green buildings, energy efficiency, publictransportation, smart growth, clean fuels, efficientvehicles and sustainable development.

Massachusetts Legislators/Policy Makers

• Implement the Massachusetts Climate ActionPlan and the following policies, and commit toguiding Massachusetts toward a 20 percentreduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010and an 80 percent reduction by 2050.

Leading by Example: Government Purchasing andBuilding Policies

• To reduce Commonwealth of Massachusettsbuilding’s greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by2010 and 80 percent by 2050, adopt LEEDStandards (Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19) for newconstruction and major rehabilitations of govern-ment facilities and increase incentives for govern-ment entities to invest in energy efficiency, on-siterenewable energy generation, and other LEEDmeasures for sustainable buildings.

• To reduce Commonwealth of Massachusettsvehicles’ greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by2010 and 80 percent by 2050, require Massachu-setts government entities to purchase vehicleswith ultra low emissions when purchasing a newvehicle and to purchase alternative fuel blends forall state owned vehicles and vehicles used instate-reimbursed transportation. Require aminimum blend of B5 (5 percent biodiesel) andE10 (10 percent ethanol) by 2008, increasing toB20 and E50 by 2010.

Conservation and Efficiency

• Provide incentives and low-cost financing forenergy efficiency and other LEED measures forsustainable buildings.

• Waive the sales tax for highly efficient appliances,hot water heaters, furnaces, and boilers. Imple-ment aggressive programs for the efficient use ofnatural gas and heating oil.

• Begin now to update building energy codes forresidential and commercial sectors to LEEDstandards by 2015 and ensure sufficient inspectorand contractor capacity, training, and support toenable effective implementation.

Clean, Safe, Renewable Energy

• Increase the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)minimum standard to 20 percent by 2020.Strengthen the state’s RPS by mandating thatutilities sign long-term contracts for clean power.Develop a standard for clean, safe, renewableenergy sources that reflects their true costs,including their impacts on the environment,health and climate. Ensure the RPS continues toprovide incentives for the development of newrenewable energy production using the cleanest,most energy efficient technologies.

• Provide incentives and low cost financing forincreased use of renewable energy for heating andcooling installations, district energy applications,as well as electricity generation, includingbiomass heating and cooling applications, photo-voltaics, solar hot water systems, passive solarheating and cooling, wind electricity generation,and geothermal heating systems.

• Set aggressive state-wide targets and increaseincentives for residential, commercial, andinstitutional construction and renovation.

• Promote district energy systems to providedistributed generation, heating, and cooling tonew clustered residential, mixed use develop-ment, and industrial parks.

• Encourage renewable self-generation for largeenergy users especially in areas which are gridconstrained.

• Make “interconnect and access” rules favorable toCombined Heat and Power (CHP) generation,and facilitate CHP siting and permitting. Updatesteam boiler public safety laws that require 24/7operator attendance, thereby making muchdistributed scale CHP economically unfeasible.

• Increase net metering laws to include generationup to 2 MW, and provide for reconciliation to bedetermined based on annual use rather thanmonthly use.

• Facilitate siting, permitting, and grid interconnec-tion for renewable energy, particularly wind, solar,and biomass installations using the most efficient,cost effective, and least polluting technology


available. Consider the full lifecycle costs of allforms of electricity generation and favor renew-able sources of energy generation over thecombustion of fossil fuels.

• Create a low interest revolving loan fund tosupport feasibility studies, business planning,legal structuring, equity development, andfinancing for community-owned, clean, safe,sustainable energy-related businesses that createliving wage jobs. Forgive the loan if the project isnot pursued.

• Support the completion of forest managementplans for state owned forestlands to enhance theecological and economic opportunities of theforests and their role in providing sustainablebiomass materials for renewable energy projects.

• Establish a subsidized loan program to stimulateprivate investment in the rural economy ofMassachusetts in developing biomass supplyinfrastructure including forestry equipment,aggregation yards, and transportation infrastruc-ture.

• Strengthen the “Filthy Five” carbon dioxidestandards for the state’s six oldest and mostpolluting power plants (310 CMR 7.29 regula-tions). Encourage the use of biomass co-firing toreduce carbon dioxide emissions.

• Adopt incentives for sustainable alternative fuelproduction and use. Adopt a low carbon fuelmandate, similar to the measure adopted inColorado. Eliminate fuel tax for biodiesel andethanol blends of 5 percent or more. Establish aproduction tax credit for biodiesel and cellulosicethanol produced within Massachusetts.

• Work toward eliminating electricity contractsbetween Massachusetts and all nuclear power

facilities. Ensure that no new nuclear power issited in the Pioneer Valley.

• Initiate and fund public education on the benefitsof energy efficiency and renewable energy andactions that individuals and communities cantake to use less energy, reduce their dependenceon foreign oil, and increase their use of renewableenergy at home, on the road, and at work.

• Support and fund research and development atMassachusetts state higher education institutionson conservation, efficiency, renewable electricity,and biofuels.

Transportation, Land Use, and Waste Reduction

• Support policies and laws that promote compactdevelopment in urban and suburban areas,protect open space, including watersheds anddrinking water discharge areas, wildlife habitatand farmland, and support mixed use districts,town and city centers that are transit-oriented,walkable, and bikeable.

• Enhance street safety: increase traffic calming,increase funding for “Safe Routes to Schools”programs, promote school renovation in towncenters rather than new construction at suburbansites, and make bicycle-and pedestrian-friendlyroadways a top priority.

• Expand funding for mass transit. Increase transitservice in low to moderate income communities.Invest in multimodal networks, suburb-to-suburbconnections, pedestrian and bike infrastructure,and collaborative efforts with employers toremove barriers to and provide incentives fornon-car commuting.

18

“The world’s forests need to be seen for what

they are . . . giant global utilities, providing es-

sential services to humanity on a vast scale.

Rainforests store carbon, which is lost to the

atmosphere when they burn, increasing global

warming. The life they support cleans the atmo-

sphere of pollutants and feeds it with moisture.

They help regulate our climate and sustain the

lives of some of the poorest people on this Earth.”

Prince Charles

Implementation •

• Invest in an extensive regional freight and passen-ger rail system. Support state, regional and localagencies to collaborate with the other NewEngland states and Amtrak to expand rail servicebetween Hartford, Springfield, Northampton,Greenfield, and Brattleboro (and points beyond)and between Pittsfield, North Adams, Greenfield,Northampton, Springfield, Worcester, and Boston.

• Support state efforts to facilitate efficient andaffordable transportation of raw materials forindustry in our region via rail.

• Encourage private sector purchase of cars withgreater fuel efficiency and lower emissions ratingsthrough a revenue-neutral program and tax relief.Reduce sales taxes on the cleanest cars and low-rolling resistance tires, and raise taxes on themost inefficient and polluting vehicles and tires.(According to a California Energy Commissionreport (www.energy.ca.gov/), the use of lowrolling resistance tires on light-duty fleets savesenough fuel to pay for the additional cost of thetires over the life of the tires.)

• Authorize pay-as-you-drive automobile insur-ance, rewarding drivers financially for fuelefficiency and fewer miles driven. Enact a slidingscale fee on vehicle emissions, (the more youemit the higher the fee).

• Support and fund research and developmentefforts on sustainable clean fuel and energy cropswhich support healthy soils, clean water, cleanair, and local food systems at Massachusetts statehigher education institutions. Support and fundresearch and development efforts on wasteprevention, recycling, and waste system efficiencyat Massachusetts state higher education institu-tions.

• Work with the Governor and Legislators to fund acomprehensive energy efficiency program that hasas its basis the recommendations put forth by theNew England Energy Efficiency Partnership.Massachusetts is responsible for using half of theelectric load in New England. Evaluate thefunding required to reduce peak demand by 4,150MW for Massachusetts by 2020 by doing thefollowing:

Increase ratepayer funding for energy

efficiency (EE) programs with 50 percentincentives.

Implement and enforce building energy codes.

Adopt proposed state and federal minimumefficiency appliance standards.

Expand procurement rules for state andmunicipal facilities and equipment purchases.

Adopt or expand the resource acquisition roleof energy efficiency to meet specific state andregional electric supply needs and increaseincentive rates.

• Provide funding to regional planning agenciesand others to develop regulatory tools for PioneerValley cities and towns to facilitate energy effi-cient construction and re-habilitation of homesand other buildings, striving to achieve the goalsof Architecture 2030 (www.architecture2030.org).

• Provide funding to enable all cities and towns inthe Pioneer Valley to join ICLEI-Local Govern-ments for Sustainability and to fully participate intheir cities for climate protection program(www.iclei.org).

• Provide funding to continue implementation of agrassroots organizing program that would encour-age every household and every business in thePioneer Valley to reduce their electricity use, bydoing such things as getting an energy audit,implementing recommendations of the audit,using Energy Star® appliances, buying locallygrown food, using public transportation, encour-aging smart growth, switching light bulbs tocompact fluorescent lights, and installing cleanenergy systems.

• Support expansion of existing programs ofutilities and not-for-profit groups such as theCenter for Ecological Technology (CET)(www.cetonline.org) that conduct home and

19


business energy audits and fund implementationof recommended improvements.

• Provide funding to regional planning agencies todevelop and work with communities to adoptzoning bylaws or ordinances and subdivisionregulations to facilitate the siting of renewableenergy projects that have strong communitysupport (www.cleanair-coolplanet.org).

• When requested by a city or town, supportthrough media and other means the developmentand siting of clean renewable energy technologiesin Pioneer Valley communities that meet amajority of the selection criteria and that willhelp achieve our clean energy goals by 2020.

• Provide funding to develop a western Massachu-setts public information and education campaignfor TV, radio, and newspapers featuring localsuccess stories of energy savings, reduction,efficiency, and the generation of clean energy.

• Support the development of sustainable feedstockbiofuel plants to increase the supply of liquidfuels for transportation, heating, and energygeneration, helping to replace fossil fuels cur-rently used for these purposes.

• Aggressively support the development of start-upenergy companies to locate in the Pioneer Valley.

Pioneer Valley Renewable EnergyCollaborative

• Continue to meet as necessary, and no less thanquarterly to:

Work to secure funding for planimplementation.

Assess progress toward plan goals.

Address issues and adjust the plan as needed.

Develop recommendations and tactics tosupport the plan.

Respond to stakeholder needs.

• Seek financial support to maintain and expandthe region’s capacity to proactively identify andfacilitate renewable energy project developmentto serve its business, institutional, and municipalfacilities. Support for this effort will be soughtfrom contributions within the region, and fromthe MA Renewable Energy Trust. The support willenable the region to address a significant develop-ment gap in community scale renewable energy,which is the early stage effort needed to identifygood project opportunities, develop projectchampions, conduct feasibility studies, andfacilitate the project development process.

• The region has a history and unique on-goingactivities and commitment to support communityor cooperative ownership of renewable energyprojects. The region will convene an expertcommittee to prepare a business plan and proposethe establishment of a community-based renew-able energy investment fund to create a signifi-cant local project financing source for commu-nity-scale projects developed in the region. Such afinancial mechanism will benefit project financialfeasibility in the region, maintain project eco-nomic benefits locally, and enhance acommunity’s support of renewable energyprojects.

PVPC and FRCOG are very interested in continuingto staff the Pioneer Valley Renewable Energy Col-laborative (PVREC) to assure implementation of thisplan. Individual members of the PVREC, in theircapacity as municipal staff, not for profit staff,business owners, and individuals, have sharedresponsibility for implementation of this plan. Thereis considerable work to be done to secure funds toenable municipalities, not for profits, and businessowners to act on the plan recommendations.

PVPC and FRCOG propose to work with the Col-laborative to prepare an unsolicited grant proposal toMTC for implementation of some of the top recom-mendations of this plan. Other members of the

“The Time for Collective Action is Now.

Governments, corporations, and individuals must

act now to forge a new path to a sustainable fu-

ture with a stable climate and a robust environ-

ment. There are many opportunities for taking

effective early action at little or no cost. Many of

these opportunities also have other environmen-

tal or societal benefits. Even if some of the subse-

quent steps required are more difficult and ex-

pensive, their costs are virtually certain to be

smaller than the costs of the climate-change dam-

ages these measures would avert.”

From “Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the unmanageable andmanaging the unavoidable” United Nations Foundation,

Feb. 2007 Executive Summary, p. 11

20

Implementation •

Collaborative are working to secure funding on theirown to implement plan recommendations. SenatorStan Rosenberg is looking at the legislative recom-mendations and will include some or all of them inhis work. We have prepared white papers for Con-gressman John Olver, given his past support for andinterest in clean energy and global climate change, inthe hopes of securing a line item request for federalfunds to implement this plan. We still need to doadditional work to develop specific cost estimatesand funding sources for the various recommendedactions.

Barriers

There are a number of barriers to clean energy andenergy conservation, efficiency, and reduced use.There are many reasons why people are not doing asmuch as they can to reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions and slow global warming. And there are manyreasons why it is hard to create local jobs in theclean energy industry here in the Pioneer Valley. It isimportant to acknowledge these barriers to theachievement of our goals, so that we can all worktogether to overcome them. One of the key barriersto the success of any clean energy effort is location,or siting. A local case study of issues related to sitingis the proposed Russell Biomass plant.

Siting Issues

From October 2006 to July 2007 several onlineforums were open on our Pioneer Valley CleanEnergy Planning Website (http://forums.e-democracy.org/pioneer-valley). The two mostpopular discussion groups were the forum on theRussell Biomass Plant with 38 members posting 200messages, and the general forum with 165 membersposting 167 messages. The majority of the discus-sion online focused on the proposed Russell BiomassPlant, a relatively large-scale facility expected togenerate 50 MW of electricity. Here are some of thethings we learned.

Opponents to the plant voiced the followingconcerns:

• Air quality concerns from stack emissions anddiesel truck emissions in their river valley be-cause of frequent air inversions that trap hazard-ous air pollution at ground level.

• Biomass should not be included in a “clean”energy plan because it produces air pollution andgreenhouse gases when it’s burned.

• Impact of water cooling process on the river; theplant’s wet cooling towers would use 885,000gallons of Westfield River water each day.

• Disruption of a residential neighborhood, near anelementary school and homes, with 840 tractor-trailer trucks a week bringing in wood to theplant.

• Concern about the violations documented insimilar plants where they were found to beburning contaminated wood and demolitiondebris even thought they were not permitted todo so – How can residents know this plant willburn only–“clean” wood now and in the future ifpermitting becomes more lax allowing thesepolluting fuels to be burned?

• Concerns about technology: What emissionscontrols and cooling tower will the plant use?

• Concerns about the decision making process:How do you get reliable information? Who hasaccess to it? Who has input into the siting andpermitting decisions? Who is getting money forhelping this plant get sited? Are the electedofficials in Russell acting in the town’s bestinterest? Did residents get adequate notice beforethe Select Board signed on to support the biomassplant? Some residents believe they did not getadequate notice before the Select Board signedonto this project.

• There are two families who live on the road to thesite of the proposed biomass plant involved incomplicated legal issues related to the accessroad, causing tremendous stress for both families.

• The Town of Russell has not had any industry formany years. People who have moved there in thelast decade moved to a tranquil, beautiful smalltown. Their sense of their town’s identity is beingthreatened with this very large industrial develop-ment right in their back yard.

Supporters of the plant say:

• Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Mount WachusettCommunity College both have very successfulbiomass plants. The developers have agreed tolimit burning to wood chips from forest gleaningsand non-toxic pallets. Why can’t we believethem?

21


• Are the down sides of the Russell plant greaterthan the status quo of foreign oil and nuclearpower?

• Biomass is one of the few sources of energy wehave in plentiful supply in Western Mass and it’sone of the most affordable energy sources to buildand operate. It also is an engine for economicdevelopment, supporting a large number offorestry and trucking jobs in the region.

• If the people in Russell have decided not to electthe Select Board representative that the biomassplant opponents ran in the last election, and if theelected officials on the Select Board representingthe town have voted to support the plant, whywould people outside of Russell oppose a plantthe majority of the people in Russell are support-ing?

• The amount of water required by the plant(885,000 gallons per day) is comparable to the1.2 million gallons per day of water that evapo-rates every day from the Westfield River. Studieshave shown it’s not a problem. The daily Augustflow is 161 million gallons per day.

• If the plant satisfied the state of Massachusetts’ airquality permitting process, it will not compromisethe health and safety of the residents in the town.The efforts of the developers to replace old woodburning stoves in town are a good faith effort toimprove air quality and alleviate the negativeimpact on air quality from their plant with a stack135 feet high dispersing the emissions over abroad range.

• The town of Russell has been an industrial town.With this plant, it’s just going back to being whatit once was. People who have lived in town fordecades want jobs and industry to return to theirtown. Their sense of their town’s identity is beingrestored.

Given the discussion and different points of viewstrongly held by residents in the Pioneer Valley, wecan learn from the online planning process how wemight address identified barriers to clean energyprojects. Small-scale distributed generation com-bined with heat and power biomass plants may bebetter received in the region than a larger biomassplant that does not use generated heat.

Renewable energy technologies have an enormouspotential in the United States and that potential canbe realized at a reasonable cost. Market research

shows that many customers will purchase renewablepower even if it costs somewhat more than conven-tional power. However, both economic theory andexperience point to significant market barriers andmarket failures that will limit the development ofrenewables unless special policy measures areenacted to encourage the appropriate application ofthese technologies.

The hurdles clean energy development projects facecan be grouped into four categories:

• Commercialization barriers faced by new tech-nologies competing with mature technologies.

• Price distortions from existing subsidies andunequal tax burdens between renewables andother energy sources.

• Failure of the market to value the public benefitsof renewables.

• Market barriers such as inadequate information,lack of access to capital, “split incentives” be-tween building owners and tenants, and hightransaction costs for making small purchases.

In addition to siting concerns and market issues,there are other prominent barriers to clean energy(most likely in the form of distributed generation) atthe local level.

Examination of municipal-level issues related todistributed generation is in the beginning stages.Conditions vary significantly from municipality tomunicipality. Nevertheless, general findings showthe types of local barriers that may be anticipatedupon the emergence of any new technologicaldevelopment. These barriers as applied to distributedgeneration include:

General

There is an overall lack of interest in and under-standing about and awareness of distributed genera-tion technologies in the regulatory and policy-making communities. There is differential knowl-edge of various distributed generation technologiesand an overall exclusion of biomass from MunicipalZoning By-Laws. There is a lack of clarity regardingthe threshold between accessory use and primary usefor distributed generation facilities and a lack ofconsistent definition and interpretation of distrib-uted generation as a primary use. There is inconsis-tent attention to the permitting of power generation

22

Implementation •

in local by-laws and uncertain permitting pathwaysdue to an absence of appropriate use terms to coverdistributed generation. Extensive review processesand potential for excessive time delays may arisefrom the need for special permits, variances, orzoning amendments to accommodate distributedgeneration facilities. There is inconsistent treatmentof wind facilities and lack of height exemptions forwind facilities. Less familiar technologies, such asbiomass and landfill gas are omitted and there is afailure to extend protections, in effect for solar andwind, to biomass.

Historic Commissions

There may be a simple absence of consideration forwind power generating facilities. Modern windtowers may be found to be incompatible withhistoric district requirements. And there may be anabsence of exemption from historic district regula-tion for public utilities.

Environmental

There is a potential for Conservation Commissionreview and ensuing appeals/time delays along withother possible delays from more rigorous environ-mental standards imposed on renewable energyversus conventional energy generation.

Local Administration of State Codes

Project proponents might experience possible delaysfrom building, electrical, and plumbing code en-forcement where independent engineering review isrequired. Additional construction costs mightemerge from compliance with fire safety require-ments. Possible referral by Board of Health to StateDepartment of Environmental Protection of potentialair pollution problems where facilities use less cleanfuels, as with wood-burning biomass facilities.

Permitting

The majority of Pioneer Valley communities do nothave professional planning staff, thus the existingproject review system is likely to continue to createdifficulty in coping with the substantial number ofapplications needed for projects to meet clean energytargets. Lack of expertise, difficulty in prioritizingapplications, and the fast pace of emerging technol-ogy all appear to be issues. Nor is it clear that thesystem can cope with the activities of small well-resourced and well-organized special interest groupsoperating on a sub-regional, regional or national

scale. Planners, permitters (and elected officials)need to understand the bigger picture, and have theresources to deal with it.

Developers and Research and Development

The situation of small-scale projects and newertechnologies remains uncertain. It is far from clearwho will bear the risk of taking newer technologies,well funded at research stage through the muchmore costly and risk proving phase to create largescale facilities.

Public

As seen in the online and in person deliberativeplanning process used to involve the public in thedevelopment of this plan, the public remains con-flicted about clean energy proposals. There is a clearneed for a substantial awareness campaign, fundedby government and with technical input from thevarious regional renewables bodies, with a view toensuring a much higher level of public understand-ing and commitment.

23


Energy Options

Because it so clearly and concisely explains theimportance of energy efficiency as a foundation ofevery clean energy planning initiative, the followingfive paragraphs are reprinted with permission froman American Council for an Energy-EfficientEconomy (ACEEE) report.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy are the“twin pillars” of sustainable energy policy. Bothresources must be developedaggressively if we are tostabilize and reduce carbondioxide emissions in ourlifetimes. Efficiency isessential to slowing theenergy demand growth sothat rising clean energysupplies can make deep cutsin fossil fuel use. If energyuse grows too fast, renew-able energy developmentwill chase a receding target.Likewise, unless cleanenergy supplies come onlinerapidly, slowing demand growth will only begin toreduce total emissions; reducing the carbon contentof energy sources is also needed. Any serious visionof a sustainable energy economy thus requires majorcommitments to both efficiency and renewables.

Energy efficiency can provide large savings in theshort and medium terms, but if opportunities areaggressively pursued, in the long term remainingopportunities will likely be more limited. Renewableenergy, on the other hand, can supply some energyin the short term, but its opportunities expand overtime. For example, a recent ACEEE study on naturalgas markets found that energy efficiency investmentscan lower natural gas prices by more than 20% overthe next eight years, but beyond that substantialrenewable energy production is needed to maintainsignificant price reductions. Likewise, the ACEEE/

Union of Concerned Scientists’’ Clean Energy Blue-print study found that energy efficiency, renewables,and CHP could reduce U.S. electricity use in 2020 byabout 2,900 billion kWh.

Efficiency can be acquired relatively cheaply; thecost of saved energy in most efficiency studies islower on a levelized basis than the cost of existing ornew conventional power generation. Renewables are

often more expensive perkWh than existing conven-tional utility powergeneration, but are increas-ingly cost competitive withnew conventional utilitypower generation. Com-bining these two resourcetypes can reduce overallelectricity system costscompared to a renewables-only policy approach.Efficiency and renewablescan also provide pricestability benefits to power

systems. Efficiency, by bringing down demand, canmoderate wholesale price spikes, reduce averageprices, and indirectly reduce the prices of affectedgeneration fuels.

In a complementary way, renewables, which aretypically not subject to fossil fuel price volatility,provide their own hedge value. Thus energy prices ina region with aggressive commitments to bothefficiency and renewables are likely to see lessvolatility and lower average power prices, since pricespikes will be reduced. Efficiency and renewablesalso provide complementary economic developmentbenefits by generating investment and employmentin different sectors, which expands the total eco-nomic stimulus effect. The majority of utility expen-ditures in most states is exported to national andglobal energy companies, so efficiency and renew-

“Improving energy efficiency represents the

most immediate and often the most cost-ef-

fective way to reduce oil dependence, improve

energy security, and reduce the health and

environmental impact of our energy system.

By reducing the total energy requirements of

the U.S. economy, improved energy efficiency

will make increased reliance on renewable

energy sources more practical and affordable.”

From American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security””– Worldwatch Institute, Center for American Progress, p. 21

Energy Options •

able investment is in fact the best way to generatenew economic activity within a state’s borders.

Efficiency and renewables, because they havedifferent load shape impacts based on time of dayand season, can improve overall system operations.On hot summer afternoons, efficiency can help bringdown peak load, while solar and wind systems canoperate at high output, reducing the use of high cost,high-emission peaking generation. This brings downtotal electricity prices, acting as a diverse set of pricehedges. It also improves system reliability by deploy-ing a diverse set of efficiency and renewable tech-nologies, especially in transmission-constrained“load pockets.” Additionally, using energy efficiencyand renewable energy as distributed resources canreduce transmission and distribution line losses.

Source: Prindle, B., Eldridge, M., Eckhardt, M., and A.Frederick. 2007. “The Twin Pillars of SustainableEnergy: Synergies between Energy Efficiency andRenewable Energy Technology and Policy. Eo74.Washington, D.C. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Full report available at

www.aceee.org/pubs/e074.htm.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation

Potential

As noted previously, the Northeast Energy EfficiencyPartnerships Inc. has determined that investments inefficiency improvements over a ten-year time periodin New England could result in savings of 28 percentof the total peak summer capacity and 37 percent ofthe capacity represented by plants using fossil fuels.If a 28 percent reduction is possible for all of NewEngland, we believe it is also possible for the PioneerValley.

Energy Efficiency avoids the need to produce somequantity of electricity that would have been other-wise demanded by a user of an electric powereddevice – a lamp, 1,000 HP motor, or a cordlesstelephone for example. The cost of avoiding akilowatt or kilowatt-hour of electricity is substan-tially cheaper than the cost of generating a kilowatthour. Figure 5 shows the comparative cost of kilo-watt hours avoided by Massachusetts’ electric energyefficiency programs in the years 2003-2005 and theaverage cost of electric generation on the spotmarket for those years. Figure 6 portrays changes inelectric generation cost and the cost of energy

efficiency per kWh produced or avoided.

The following actions should be considered asadditional measures that people, institutions,organizations, agencies, and companies can take thatwill help us meet or exceed our four goals. Addi-tional work needs to be done to quantify the effect ofthese actions with respect to our goal of reducingour region’s energy consumption to 2000 levels bythe end of 2009 and an additional 15% reductionfrom 2010 to 2020, but that does not mean that weshould wait to act.

65,000

60,000

55,000

50,000

45,000

40,0001992 1994 2006

Source: Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources

Figure 6: Cumulative Electric Energy Savings Resultingfrom MA Energy Efficiency Programs (in GWhs)

2000 2002 200419981996

2005

Net Consumed

1991

$0.10

$0.09

$0.08

$0.07

$0.06

$0.05

$0.04

$0.03

$0.02

$0.01

$0.002003 2004 2005

Source: Massachusetts Saving Electricity: A Summary of the Performance of Electric Efficiency Programs Funded by Rate payers between 2003 and 2005, April 2007.

Figure 5: Relative Electricity Cost

●

●

●

●

●

●

$0.0554 $0.0570

$0.0891

$0.0376$0.0329 $0.0320

25


Promote green building and development at theresidential, commercial, and municipal levels.All levels of government and society can work toadvance this goal. We need to assess energy effi-ciency of existing building stock and retrofit munici-pal buildings for greater energy efficiency. We alsoneed to use both positive and negative reinforcementto encourage the purchase of energy efficient prod-ucts. We need to use programmable thermostats,install setback controls on heating, cooling, andventilation systems and support off-peak appliance/equipment use. We need to promote/support naturallighting in buildings, use trees and vegetation toreduce heat/cooling loads on buildings and use coolroofs (high reflectance/emittance materials) andgreen roofs whenever we can. We need to replaceexisting lights, traffic signals and exit sign lightswith compact fluorescent or LED fixtures and weneed to provide energy efficiency training for build-ers. We also need to build on existing partnershipswith the Center for Energy Efficiency and RenewableEnergy at UMASS to help local businesses, develop-ers, etc. apply the Center’s research. Signing on toArchitecture 2030 http://www.architecture2030.org/is a great way to achieve many of these goals.

Provide financing and funding for energy efficiency.Some ways this could be achieved are by fundingcarbon reduction/energy efficiency programs with an“energy tax”; providing loans and financing forenergy efficiency, and providing free or subsidizedinsulation for low-income residences.

Adopt new regulatory measures for energy efficiency.We need to work together to support amendments tothe State Business Energy Tax Credits and StateEnergy Loan Programs to encourage green buildingpractices and make the tax credits more accessible to

organizations. We also need to work toward tax andregulatory policies that reflect the true cost of energyproduction and manufacturing processes based on alife-cycle analysis and use that information todevelop energy efficiency building codes.

Integrate energy conservation into the operationsand management of municipal government.We can do this by considering the establishment ofan energy management position at the regional leveland by integrating renewable energy and energyefficiency into all planning and development pro-cesses. We have established regional energy effi-ciency and clean energy targets, now our municipali-ties, must also set municipal energy efficiencytargets. We can require or encourage municipalemployees to favor “green products” when purchas-ing for municipalities and facilitate the use ofenergy-service performance contracts, by businesses,government, and non-profit agencies. The city ofCambridge offers a way to do this http://www.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/. Offices, bothpublic and private, can use digital technology toreduce the amount of paper required in order toreduce energy used in the production, distribution,and recycling of paper products.

Advocate for energy conservation / efficiency.We must help small businesses, non-profit organiza-tions, and public agencies gain access to energyefficiency services while we continue to advocatestrengthening the Massachusetts state building codeto include all cost-effective energy-efficiency mea-sures. We can work with industry to identify oppor-tunities for improving energy efficiency in processapplications and to use waste-heat recovery for co-generation. We can also support small businessconservation pro-grams through newagreements in utilityfranchises.

Promote EnergyStar® products/programs.We should all recruitbusinesses andorganizations intothe Energy Star®program with thegoal of reducing energy use and then utilize pledges,peer exchanges, and public recognition programs to

26

Energy Options •

sustain involvement. We can work with local storesto promote Energy Star® products and educateconsumers about the Energy Star® label and alsoencourage businesses to take advantage of availableutility rebates and join the Energy Star® programwith the goal of reducing energy use.

Promote energy conservation at the residential level.We can do this by facilitating the weatherization ofhomes, making sure that financial assistance isavailable to low-income households and by imple-menting neighborhood-based outreach efforts tocombine and promote energy and water conserva-tion, solid waste reduction, safety, and livability.Requiring green building and energy-efficiencymeasures, including Energy Star® appliances,lighting, and heating equipment in city/town-fundedaffordable housing and other development projectswould also help, as would support for residentialconservation programs through new agreements infranchises with local utilities. We also need toexpand programs to support residential use of LEDfixtures and compact fluorescent lights and facilitatethe installation of energy conservation measures inmulti-family units. It may be necessary to providegreen building design assistance and technicalresources to residential developers, designers,homebuilders, and residents. We can improve themaintenance of residential heating, ventilation, andair-conditioning equipment by educating consumersand schoolchildren and by working with the stateand other partners to offer financing for the purchaseof high-efficiency furnaces, heat pumps, air-condi-tioning systems, replacement windows, insulation,water heaters, appliances, and other large energy-using systems. We must also ensure that standardresidential energy audits include review of majorappliances, education of residents, and direct instal-lation of efficient lighting and water-saving devices.It would also be worthwhile to explore requiringweatherization of residential properties at time ofsale and re-sale.

Renewable Energy Potential

This section provides a summary of each renewableenergy technology that can be developed in thePioneer Valley. For information on existing andproposed projects, see the Pioneer Valley CleanEnergy Inventory available at www.pvpc.org andwww.frcog.org.

Wind

Wind is one of Massachusetts’ primary renewableenergy resources, and in many cases the mosteconomical. A well designed wind power project canproduce energy (kilowatt-hours) at prices similar tonew fossil fuels plants. Many factors go into deter-mining whether a site is appropriate for a windpower project, including wind speed, environmentalconsiderations, land use, distance to residences, andother permitting restrictions. The specifics of sitingwind power will not be detailed here – the purposeof this document is not to target any specific places –but a few items will be mentioned in order to helpunderstand the wind energy potential of the PioneerValley. In order to begin to understand what consti-tutes an economical wind project, here is a briefintroduction to two important concepts: turbinescale and wind resource.

Turbine Scale

Wind power can be divided into three size ranges,which are used for different applications. Here we

27

Wind turbine installation, Jiminy Peak-Berkshire Co.


focus on medium andcommercial-scale windpower. The size is chosendifferently depending onthe turbine’s purpose.Typical sizes in the threeranges currently availablein the US are shown inFigure 7.

In each case, the approxi-mate annual energyproduction of an exampleturbine in that scale isgiven; the exampleassumes that the turbineis installed at a fairlywindy site that has meanwind speeds of 7m/s (15.6mph). These examples arerough numbers and areonly given in order toshow the difference thatturbine scale makes. Forcomparison, the averageMassachusetts household uses 7,200 kWh/year.

Because of the large difference in production (and inparticular, the cost of that output), clean energyplans must focus primarily on large scale turbines.While residential-scale wind turbines can be a goodoption for homes, farms or businesses in windyareas, they cannot form the backbone of a realisticenergy plan.

For more information on wind turbines, siting,resource, permitting, and small turbines, see RERL’sCommunity Wind Fact sheet series, www.ceere.org/rerl/about_wind/

Wind Resource: Wind power energy production ishighly dependent on wind speed; small changes inwind speed make big changes in annual output. Forthis reason, the siting of successful wind powerprojects carefully considers wind speed.

Massachusetts’ best wind resource are at higherelevations, the coastlines, and offshore; the maps onthe following pages show estimated wind speeds inthe three-county area (Franklin, Hampshire andHampden.) One map shows estimated wind speedsat a height of 70 meters and is used as a screening

tool to suggest where itis appropriate to con-sider large-scale tur-bines. The other mapshows winds at 30meters height, and isused to screen sites forsmall, residential windturbines.

Compared to Berkshire,Worcester, and particu-larly the coastal coun-ties, the three countiesalong the ConnecticutRiver Valley do not havea plentiful wind re-source. However, thereare several areas thatcould host wind powerprojects, and a fewcommunities are consid-ering community-ownedor sponsored windturbines. In order to get

a sense of scale, consider the example of fourcommunities hosting projects of one to five full-scaleturbines; in this example, the turbines could producein the range of forty million kilowatt hours per year,or about 5,600 households’ worth of electricity.5

Two facts may result in future wind developmentbeyond these few locations. First, small-scale windturbines remain an option for a number of regionalfarms, ridgelines and open fields. Individual small-scale wind turbines yield a much more modestenergy output. Nevertheless, these turbines can stillbe economically profitable. Moreover, if developedthoroughly in the Pioneer Valley, small-scale windcan have a significant effect on the region’s cleanenergy production. Second, as new and more effi-cient technologies develop in this burgeoningindustry, sites deemed unfit for wind production mayprove to be feasible locations for wind turbines inthe future.

One issue associated with wind development, whichdeserves serious consideration and discussion, areimpacts on neighboring properties and sceniccharacter. Local residents have expressed concernsabout the siting of wind turbines in their neighbor-hoods. As part of the development of this clean

Residential: below 30 kW• Diameter: 1 - 13 m (4 - 43 ft)• Tower Height: 18 - 37 m (60 - 120 ft)• Example energy production: ~20,000 kWh/ year (10 kW Bergey XL)

Medium: 30 - 500 kW• Typically used when there is a large electrical load.• Diameter: 13 - 30 m (43 - 100 ft)• Tower Height: 35 - 50 m (115 - 164 ft)• Example energy production: ~500,000 kWh/ year (250 kW Fuhrländer FL 250)

Large scale: 500 kW – 2.5 MW• Diameter: 47 - 90 m (155 - 300 ft)• Tower Height: 50 - 80 m (164 - 262 ft)• Example energy production: ~4,000,000 kWh/year (1,800 kW Vestas V80).

Figure 7: Windpower Specifications

Energy Options • 29


Energy Options •

energy plan, we started a very frank discussion aboutsome of the issues involved in the balance betweenaesthetic and environmental concerns and thedevelopment of clean energy. This is an importantconversation, and one that should continue. Com-munities will need to decide whether commercial orsmall scale wind developments should be sited intheir town.

Landfill Gas/Co-Generation

Landfills produce various gases (LFG) through thedecomposition of biological materials. In order toavoid dangerous explosions and limit the amount ofLFG that migrates into the atmosphere, LFG istraditionally collected and flared. However, LFG canbe turned into energy by drilling wellheads into thedump field and burning the gas for energy. Althoughrelatively small in output, these facilities can provideenergy from an untapped resource that wouldotherwise be flared and wasted. Given the benefitsof burning LFG for energy instead of merely flaringthe gas, Landfill Gas/Co-Generation should bepursued as an alternative energy option at all re-gional landfills where the process is feasible. Thereare seven sites either currently producing or permit-ted to burn LFG for energy in the Pioneer Valley:two in Chicopee and one in Granby are functioningas of plan release (2007). Four more are in the worksin the communities of Northampton, Westfield,Palmer and South Hadley. This means that all largelandfills in the region have been (or are being)

developed. As technology changes, it may becomecost effective to develop the clean energy potential ofsmaller landfills.

Hydropower

Hydropower is a clean, renewable energy source thatcan also produce regular water supplies and floodcontrols. Despite high capital associated with theconstruction of a hydropower facility, hydropowergeneration is considered quite cost-competitive dueto facilities’ long lifecycles and low operation andmaintenance costs. The Pioneer Valley has broadlyaccepted and utilized the benefits of hydropowerfacilities for decades. There currently exist 35hydropower plants in the Pioneer Valley, whichproduce 30.27 MW of electricity (2002). In certainsituations, hydropower can have negative impacts ifstructures interfere with fish migration, result in lowdissolved oxygen levels, or destroy regional habitats.However, many of these negative externalities can beavoided or minimized in the Pioneer Valley riversystem. Thus, hydropower stands as a modestpotential contributor to increasing the region’s cleanenergy production.

Currently, no small-scale hydropower projects areunder development in the Pioneer Valley. However,the region should certainly study and develop viablesites—provided that these facilities do not signifi-cantly interfere with wildlife habitats. There is a needfor thorough research into the clean energy generat-ing potential of all regions of the Commonwealth.

According to a 1995 study prepared for the U.S.Department of Energy, “U.S. Hydropower ResourceAssessment for Massachusetts”, by the Idaho Na-

Chicopee Landfill Gas GeneratorHighlights

One of the most advanced low-emission biomass projects in NewEngland

Began operating in January 2004

5.7 megawatt capacity

Produces enough energy to powerapproximately 2,150 homesannually

Owned and operated by theChicopee Municipal Light Plant.

31


tional Engineering Laboratory that used modelingsoftware, there are at least 130 sites in Massachusettsriver basins that have the potential to generatehydropower. The basin with the most undevelopedhydropower potential is the Connecticut River with68 sites and 84 MW of capacity. The ConnecticutRiver Basin total is driven by three sites that havemore than half the basin’s total undeveloped poten-tial. Over half of the estimated potential capacityacross the entire state comes from sites that arecurrently undeveloped where impoundments mightneed to be constructed.

The Low Impact Hydropower Institute in Portland,Maine certifies “low impact” hydropower facilitiesusing low impact certification criteria. Low impactfacilities are not necessarily small hydro. Largehydropower facilities can be “low impact” if theymeet a set of eight criteria according to the LowImpact Hydropower Institute. A site that meetsthese criteria would reflect a reduction in the long-term environmental impacts often associated withhydropower projects independent of their size:

• The facility (dam and powerhouse) shouldprovide river flows that are healthy for fish,wildlife, and water quality, including seasonalflow fluctuations where appropriate.

• Water quality in the river is protected includingthe demonstration that the impoundment has notcontributed to a state finding that the river hasimpaired water quality.

• The facility provides effective fish passage andprotects fish from entrainment.

• Sufficient action has been taken to protect,mitigate, and enhance environmental conditionsin the watershed.

• The facility does not negatively impact state orfederal threatened or endangered species.

• The facility does not inappropriately impactcultural resources.

• The facility provides free access to the water andaccommodates recreational activities on thepublic’s river.

• The facility is not sited at dam locations that havebeen identified for removal due to their environ-mental impacts.

Solar Electric Photovoltaic

Passive solar buildings use the sun to directly heatbuildings that are constructed with extremely goodinsulation, or what is called, a tight building shell.They can significantly reduce the cost of heating,cooling, and lighting a building. Active solar energysystems can generate hot water or electricity. Solarhot water systems are the least expensive, most cost-effective systems to install. They use the sun to pre-heat hot water, reducing the cost significantly. Solarelectric or photovoltaic cells (PV) convert heatenergy from sunlight directly into electricity for useat a single structure or for transfer into the electricgrid.

One of the greatest benefits of solar technology is itsminimal environmental impact. Once installed, solartechnology requires no additional energy. Conse-quently, the only negative impact solar technologyhas on the environment is during its construction.Moreover, solar technology is traditionally installedon or near existing structures. As a result, solarpower has minimal land use impacts. Nevertheless,like any technology, solar energy does have certaindrawbacks. The primary drawback for solar technol-ogy is the cost of installation. Despite consistentadvances in the development of solar systems, solarelectric systems are very expensive to install.

Notwithstanding the current price of solar energy,this technology presents itself as a promising con-tributor to the region’s clean energy future. Marketanalysts predict that as technological developmentsimprove efficiency and lower manufacturing costs,use of solar technology will continue to expand. This

32

Energy Options •

of land managers tomanage for wildlife, fireprevention and foresthealth.

The Sustainable ForestBioenergy Initiative(SFBI) is an effort by theDepartment of Conserva-tion and Recreation andthe Division of EnergyResources to facilitate thedevelopment of biomassmarkets in Massachu-setts. Initial worksuggests that there isgreat potential for futurebiomass energy develop-ment because the esti-mated sustainable annualbiomass harvest is largerthan current use, andother industries wouldbenefit from outlets for

wood disposal. Renewable Portfolio Standardsprovide a financial incentive to construct newbiomass power plants. Such plants will likely besmall by fossil-fuel standards, but may increasinglyproduce both useful heat and electricity. There isalso great potential for the production of cellulosicethanol and other biofuels.

Massachusetts currently has only one operatingbiomass electricity plant, Pine Tree Power inFitchburg (16 MW), although a number of otherplants operate in New England. Public Service ofNew Hampshire’s 50 MW Schiller plant opened in2006 in Portsmouth. Draft results of the SFBI worksuggests that roughly 150-200 MW of biomassenergy could be developed in the western half ofMassachusetts. This biomass build out in Massachu-setts and the Pioneer Valley could include largepower plants between 25 and 50 MW, combined heatand power plants between 5 and 10 MW, andnumerous small 1-5 MMBtu/hr heat-only systems.The actual number, size and location of thesefacilities will depend upon fuel supply, transporta-tion infrastructure, site opportunities, economicincentives, local permitting, and other social andenvironmental factors.

maturation of the solarenergy market should beencouraged at the local,state and federal levelthrough incentives forboth manufacturers todevelop better technologyand energy users topurchase the technology.

The current amount ofsolar technology operat-ing in the region isdifficult to comprehen-sively measure. However,there are several commer-cial and large-scaleresidential PV installa-tions known of in theregion generating anestimated 50 kilowatthours of electricity. Theestimated build out ofclean energy from solarPV is limited only by the amount of appropriatelyoriented south-facing roof and other flat spaceavailable.

Biomass

Biomass refers to biological material that can be usedto produce energy. This can include wood, animalwaste, and agricultural crops; which are burned forheat and/or electricity or processed into liquid orgaseous biofuels. In New England we are fortunateto have abundant forest resources, which have thepotential to supply great quantities of sustainablyharvested wood chips and other products.

Unlike fossil fuels, wood is renewable whensustainably harvested, and when wood combustionand growth rates are equal there is no net emissionof CO

2. Replacing fossil-derived energy with biomass

can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike otherrenewable energy technologies, biomass facilitiesrequire a regular supply of operating fuel from localsources, which requires significant amounts ofcapital and labor to produce and directly benefits thelocal economy. By providing markets for low valueforest products, biomass facilities increase the ability

The development of new bioenergy indus-

tries could provide clean energy services

to millions of people who currently lack

them, while generating income and creat-

ing jobs in poorer areas of the world. But

rapid growth in liquid biofuels production

will raise agricultural commodity prices and

could have negative economic and social

effects, particularly on the poor who spend

a large share of their income on food…In

many countries, the current structure of

agricultural markets means that the bulk

of the profits go to a small portion of the

population. Unless ownership is shared

more equitably, this divide could be come

as true for energy commodities as it is for

food commodities today.

US Report on Sustainable Bioenergy:A Framework for Decision Makers. April 2007

33


Biofuels

Biofuels are liquid or gas fuels made from organicfats and oils from plants and animals. Biofuels can beused for transportation or heating. Sugar cane, sugarbeets, corn, soy beans, oil seeds such as canola,palm, mustard, cotton, etc., switch grass, and woodare some of the common plant sources of biomassthat can be made into biofuels. While manure andfat are typical animal sources of biomass that can bemade into biofuels. Biofuels are one type ofbioenergy. Biofuels replace fossil fuels, increasenational security and provide local jobs. Whenproduced sustainably, they reduce greenhouse gasemissions and provide a sustainable fuel supply forthe future.

For the last 100 years we’ve increasingly relied onfossil fuels for transportation. Prior to that transpor-tation was fueled by biomass, as horses and otheranimals that provided transportation ate grasses andgrains for their fuel. As our supply of fossil fuelsbecome less plentiful and more expensive, we’returning back to biofuels for transportation. Conver-sations have begun looking at how we can effectivelyuse our land to provide food and fuel once again tosustain our communities.

The United Nations issued a report in April 2007 onSustainable Bioenergy. It said:

The gradual move away from oil has begun. Overthe next 15-20 years we may see biofuels providing afull 25 percent of the world’s energy needs.

Bioenergy is being used all over the world. In someinstances it is truly sustainable, and in others it ishighly destructive. A wide range of bioenergy typescurrently exists, as well as a variety of productionand utilization systems that have very differentsocial, economic, and environmental impacts.

The ability of various bioenergy types to reducegreenhouse gas emissions varies widely, and whereforests are cleared to make way for new energy crops,the emissions can be even higher than those fromfossil fuels. Unless new policies are enacted toprotect threatened lands, secure socially acceptableland use, and steer bioenergy development in asustainable direction overall, the environmental andsocial damage could in some cases outweigh thebenefits.

(Footnotes)5 To estimate this number, multiply the following assumed

numbers: (4 towns) x (average project size: 3 turbines) x(average turbine size: 1,500 kW) x (average capacityfactor: 27%) x (availability: 95%) x (8,760 hrs/year) =40,444,920 kWh/year. Divide that by the average Massa-chusetts household’s annual consumption of 7,200 kWh/year to get the number of households served. For anintroduction to the meaning behind these numbers, seeRERL’s community wind fact sheet “Capacity Factor,Intermittency, and what happens when the wind doesn’tblow?” at this address: www.ceere.org/rerl/about_wind/)

34

Biodiesel is a fuel made from either virgin or re-cycled plant oils and animal fats that can be used indiesel engines and oil heat systems. Ethanol madefrom corn, sugar cane, sugar beets, or cellulosicmaterials produces an alcohol fuel that can be usedin gasoline engines.

Biodiesel’s environmental benefits:

• Greenest” of all the liquid fuels [addressesenvironmental sustainability]

• Reduces soot and hydrocarbons (HC) by 60%[addresses asthma in children]

• Cancer Causing Exhaust reduced by >90%[quality and longevity of life]

• Green House Gases reduced by > 78% [globalwarming]

• Sulphur (acid rain) reduced by > 99.9% [im-proved biodiversity]

• Energy Return on Energy Invested for biodiesel: >320% (NREL data )

We can not produce a comparable Pioneer Valleyspecific renewable energy build out for biofuelsbecause they need to be understood as a regionalresource, but we know that biofuels will play a rolein our clean energy transition, so we include men-tion of them here.

Where Do We Go From Here? •

Where Do We Go From

Here?

Community Adoption Process

We plan to seek endorsement from all key constitu-encies including but not limited to: all 69 cities andtowns in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden coun-ties; the thirteen colleges and the University ofMassachusetts, our elected officials, the WesternMassachusetts Economic Development Council, Planfor Progress Trustees, the Valley DevelopmentCouncil, community organizations that work onclean energy, and other groups or individuals whowant to commit to make this plan a reality. The Planwill be adopted when an official representative of theentity wishing to pledge their commitment to dotheir part to achieve the goals of this plan, and signsthe appropriate memorandum of agreement (MOA),or clean energy action pledge.

Evaluation

This plan will be evaluated on an annual basis by themembers of the Pioneer Valley Renewable EnergyCollaborative using three separate metrics:

• degree to which the Clean Energy Plan isadopted/endorsed by private and public stake-holders in the Pioneer Valley;

• continued cooperation of members of the PioneerValley Renewable Energy Collaborative in theplan’s facilitation; and,

• the degree to which the four goals are achieved by2010 and by 2020, modifying actions as necessarygiven bi-annual assessments.

The Pioneer Valley Renewable Energy Collaborativewill assess how well the region is achieving the fourgoals of the Clean Energy Plan using the followingmeasures.

Goal One: Energy Conservation and Efficiency

Given resource constraints, we do not have a directway to measure how much energy is being used inthe Pioneer Valley. As a result we will continue touse the fact that the Pioneer Valley is home toapproximately 10% of the state’s population and useten percent of the state of Massachusetts energyconsumption as a reasonable estimate for setting ourgoals.

To measure electricity and natural gas consumptionreductions, we will ask utilities in the Pioneer Valleyto report on the electricity used in the Pioneer Valley,specifically, the number of entitie s they receive eachyear for energy audits, the number of audits theyhave completed, the number of audits that imple-ment the audit recommendations, and the totalenergy consumption reduced by implementing thosemeasures. We have had some difficulty acquiringthese data from area utilities, and if we are unable toacquire the data directly, we will use surrogatemeasures, such as 10% of the states’ activity. As partof the implementation process, we hope to setspecific targets for each year. We will also track thenumber of municipalities working with energyservice companies (ESCOs) to conduct comprehen-sive energy audits of municipal buildings.

To measure building energy use reduction, we willtrack the number of Energy Star® and LEED certi-fied green buildings constructed in the region eachyear.

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To measure transportation energy use reduction, wewill track vehicle miles traveled in the region, as wellas bike paths built, on-street bike lanes marked,expansion of bus routes, and use of established orcreation of new car-pooling or car-sharing programs,such as MassRides and zip cars.

Goal Two: Renewable Energy Production

To measure clean electricity production, we will askMTC to report to us on the renewable projectsimplemented in our region.

To measure renewable energy production, we willtrack local projects such as the Northeast Biodieselfactory being built in Greenfield, the distributedgeneration project pending in the Town of Deerfieldand other similar initiatives. We’ll total their gWhproduction equivalents to see if we are meeting theestablished goals.

Goal Three: Greenhouse Gas Reduction

To measure the amount of fuel used to produceelectricity, we will track the fuels used through thestate’s system and continue to assume that we use10% of the total. (Unless we are able to measure usein the region directly by then).

To measure the amount of fuel used for heating andair conditioning, we will ask fuel dealers to reportthe amount of natural gas, propane, and #2 heatingoil used in the Pioneer Valley each year.

To measure the gas and diesel fuel used in transpor-tation, we will ask fuel dealers to report the amountof gas and diesel fuel used in the Pioneer Valley eachyear and track VMT reductions in the region.

Goal Four: Green Jobs and Green Businesses stimulating our regional economy

To measure the creation of clean energy jobs in thePioneer Valley, we will use the data MTC collects totrack green jobs created and green businessesdeveloped and we will study the economic impact,job quality, and environmental impact of localdistributed clean energy projects and clean energyprojects owned by foreign companies to determinehow best to invest our development resources.

Comprehensive Action and Contact

Information

The most important part of “where we go from here”is that, both individually and collectively, the Pio-neer Valley implements the measures of this plan.For those readers with questions or that are inter-ested in getting more information regarding howthey can help implement this plan, please contactthe following individuals and agencies:

Catherine Miller, Principal PlannerPioneer Valley Planning Commission(413) [email protected]

Cameron Weimar, Senior PlannerFranklin Regional Council of Government(413) 774-1194 (ex. 105)[email protected]

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PIONEER VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY PLAN · • Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan energy future, we certainly did encounter differences of opinion on what this plan should include. We do not

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