No surprise: Cuomo Bridge opening delay gets political

Naveen Dhaliwal reports for ABC 7
Saturday’s planned opening of the second span of the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge over the Hudson River was delayed after a piece of the bridge it is replacing became destabilized and threatened to fall, officials said.

 Matthew Driscoll, the executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, said “a potentially dangerous situation” developed Friday when a piece of the old Tappan Zee Bridge became destabilized during the process of being disassembled.

 He said the opening of the eastbound span of the new bridge, named after former New York governor Mario Cuomo, would be delayed “out of an abundance of caution.”

 The issue arose hours after Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the late former governor’s son, held a grand opening ceremony for the new bridge span. Joined by one-time Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Cuomo said Friday that the new bridge “shows the world that we’re capable of dreaming big and delivering results for the people of this state.”

Cuomo’s rivals suggested that he had opened the new span prematurely to garner positive coverage ahead of Thursday’s primary election.

“A ribbon-cutting ceremony should not have been held if the bridge span was not yet safe,” Cuomo’s primary opponent, actress Cynthia Nixon, said in a statement Saturday. “There are real, reasonable questions about whether this bridge span opening was accelerated to aid the governor’s campaign.”

 Nixon is expected to visit the bridge Sunday afternoon and is calling for an investigation, saying Cuomo rushed the opening of the bridge.

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 Related: Cuomo Bridge: ‘Dangerous situation’ on Tappan Zee halts opening of new Westchester-bound span

No surprise: Cuomo Bridge opening delay gets political Read More »

Cuomo Bridge: ‘Dangerous situation’ on Tappan Zee halts opening of new Westchester-bound span

Matt Coyne and
Thomas B. Zambito
report for The Record:

A piece of the old Tappan Zee Bridge became destabilized Friday, creating “a potentially dangerous situation,” which caused state officials to call off plans to open the Westchester-bound span of its replacement, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
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Matthew Driscoll, the executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, said engineers disassembling the Tappan Zee feared the destabilized piece of the old bridge could fall.

DEMOLITION: Tappan Zee Bridge demolition timeline

“Given its proximity to the new completed span, out of an abundance of caution, motorists will remain in the current traffic configuration until a thorough evaluation by Tappan Zee Constructors is complete,” Driscoll said Saturday morning.

It’s unclear when the new eastbound span will open.

“The second span is finished and ready to open to traffic as soon as the Thruway Authority is assured there is no risk to the new span,” he added.

The discovery prompted the Coast Guard to close the navigational channel under the bridge and the traffic shift already underway was canceled late Friday.


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After NJ sets limits for PFNA in drinking water, EPA is pressured to regulate PFAS chemicals in all states

At a congressional hearing, advocates say the federal government needs to address contamination worries

Jon Hurdle reports for NJ Spotlight:

Clean-water advocates and U.S. lawmakers pressed the federal Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to set an enforceable national health standard for the presence of toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water.

At a congressional hearing, advocates for tighter curbs on the chemicals said the government should address growing concern by establishing a level for each of the chemicals that would help state and local officials and private water systems protect public health.

Two days after New Jersey became the first state to regulate one of the chemicals, PFNA, an environment panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a three-hour hearing on how government can respond to increasing signs of contamination around the country.


The persistence of PFAS
Speakers accused the EPA of dragging its feet on setting strict limits on the chemicals, which have been used in products including nonstick cookware, flame-retardant fabrics, and firefighting foam, and have been phased out by U.S. manufacturers but are present in most people’s bodies and persist in some water systems.

Unless the federal government sets national standards that apply to water suppliers and provides scientific assistance in how to detect and treat the chemicals, state governments will not know how to regulate them, and the public will remain confused over whether their water is safe to drink, advocates said.

“Without Federal leadership, states are left on their own to make the tough decisions on whether and/or how to address PFAS in drinking water,” said Lisa Daniels, director of the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection and president of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. Daniels urged Congress to direct all appropriate federal agencies to develop a unified voice on PFAS as soon as possible; to list the chemicals as hazardous substances under the Superfund law that provides federal funds for cleaning up hazardous waste sites; and to require PFAS reporting under the government’s Toxic Release Inventory.

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Divisions within the federal government over safe levels of PFAS in the environment emerged into public view this year when the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recommended health limits for two of the chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, that were seven to 10 times lower than those advocated but not required by the EPA.

The conflicting advice led one federal official to warn of a “public relations nightmare” if officials had to explain the difference to the public, according to emails obtained by the Union of Concerned Scientists ahead of the ATSDR release.


EPA working closely with other agencies

Peter Grevatt, director of the EPA’s Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water, told the committee that the EPA is working closely with other federal agencies on the PFAS issue, but offered no update on the agency’s previously announced plan to look at whether to regulate the chemicals.
He said the EPA is working on a national management plan for PFAS, due for publication by the end of 2018, that would include its conclusions on whether to set “maximum contaminant limits” (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS, two PFAS chemicals that are the focus of most regulation so far.
New Jersey set its first MCL by regulating PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid) at a level that is far stricter than the EPA’s health advisory. The state is implementing similarly tough limits on two other PFAS chemicals and has become a national leader in the field.

After NJ sets limits for PFNA in drinking water, EPA is pressured to regulate PFAS chemicals in all states Read More »

NJ and NY projects among 7 to share $10M in CHP funding

Siemens research facility in Princeton, NJ
By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor 
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the selection of seven projects that will receive up to $10 million towards the research and development of technologies that enable small-to-midsize manufacturers to use combined heat and power (CHP) systems to provide services to the electric grid.
In a news release, the DOE explained:
“A reliable and resilient grid is critical to U.S. economic growth and energy security. As the grid interconnects a growing number of renewable energy sources – like wind and solar – the intermittent nature of power generation from these renewable sources creates challenges for power system operations. Electric utilities and other system operators face an increasing and immediate need for additional power to keep the electric grid stable and secure.
The two regional projects to receive funds are:
GE Global Research – Niskayuna, NY
  • This project will develop a set of full-size grid-interface converter system and control solutions to interconnect small-to-midsize CHP engines to the low-voltage to medium-voltage utility grid. The enhanced microgrid controller would enable engagement of a CHP system operator with the electric power grid operator through generator and/or microgrid controls.
Siemens Corporation – Princeton, NY
  • This project will develop an improved CHP system by demonstrating key novel components with computer simulations of standard technologies. The project will use a supercritical CO2 bottoming cycle to increase electrical output to respond to grid requests. The approach will optimize the design of power systems, develop some key components (advanced heat exchangers) and demonstrate their performance in actual rig tests to prove the feasibility of the complete system.
According to the Department, DCHP, also known as cogeneration, is a set of mostly gas-fired distributed generation technologies that produce electricity and thermal energy onsite.
“These systems can provide utilities and grid operators with a cost-effective way to obtain the grid services they need to stabilize the electric power system and keep it running. CHP can also help improve the resiliency of the U.S. electric grid by providing supplemental power during natural disasters and help reduce the strain on existing grid infrastructure by meeting peak demand, reducing congestion, and improving overall power quality. In addition, these systems can also provide facility owners with more efficient and lower cost electricity.
“Today, CHP is widely used in large industrial facilities where they have the manpower and expertise to support cost-effective installation and operation of large CHP systems. However, small-to-midsize facilities could also benefit from flexible and cost-effective CHP. Such systems would have the benefits of conventional CHP, but could also provide support to the grid in the form of electricity supply, frequency regulation, and reserves (capacity available as needed).
“Through this research, DOE is looking to enable the private sector development of flexible CHP systems for small-to-midsize facilities that can automatically and seamlessly provide essential grid services and are easier to install and operate. The selected projects will conduct research on CHP technologies in two areas of interest to DOE: (1) power electronics and control systems and (2) electricity generation components.
The five other selected projects are:
Clemson University – Clemson, SC
  • This project will develop a power conditioning system converter and a corresponding control system for flexible CHP (F-CHP) systems. It will enable high-speed gas turbines to more effectively provide grid support functions and could be readily applied in new CHP installations, or potentially retrofit some applications
ElectraTherm, Inc. – Flowery Branch, GA
  • This project will develop a high-temperature Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) generation unit to provide additional power when needed by the grid, while also maintaining useful thermal energy for use in CHP applications. The ORC developed under this project will overcome the current limitation of useful thermal energy after the bottoming cycle.

Southwest Research Institute – San Antonio, TX

  • The objective of this project is to expand the operational window of gas turbines for greater turndown, allowing for more flexibility in the power/heat ratios and enable grid support by CHP systems. This will be accomplished by developing a low-emission combustion system capable of sustaining combustion during high turndown operation. The project focuses on the Solar Titan 130 combustor and will expand the operating window to allow for turndown to 30-40% load.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville – Knoxville, TN
  • This project will develop a power conditioning system converter and a corresponding control system for flexible CHP (F-CHP) systems. The power conditioning system (PCS) converter and controller will support different kinds of CHP sources and will be scalable to form at needed power to serve as the interface connector between CHPs and a medium voltage (MV) grid. This project provides foundational work that could allow various CHPs/Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to work together and interface directly with the utility medium voltage grid. The technology could support multiple device microgrids in the future.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute – Blacksburg, VA
  • This project will develop a modular, scalable medium voltage power converter featuring stability-enhanced grid-support functions for future flexible CHP systems operating in small-to-midsize U.S. manufacturing plants. The project provides foundational work on power electronics and control systems enabled by advanced WBG technology. It is capable of being implemented into a variety of existing and future CHP systems using a wide range of prime mover technologies.

NJ and NY projects among 7 to share $10M in CHP funding Read More »

NJ gets $84.5 in federal water-infrastructure funding

From NJBIZ:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it has awarded nearly $84.5 million to New Jersey to help finance water infrastructure projects. The funds will primarily be used to upgrade wastewater and drinking water systems throughout the state.
EPA awarded $65,589,000 to the New Jersey Clean Water State Revolving Fund program and $18,957,000 to the New Jersey Drinking Water Revolving Fund program. These programs are administrated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and its financing program, the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank.
These awards, plus a 20 percent state match and repayments from prior CWSRF and DWSRF loans and interest earnings and bond issuances, will enable the financing of up to about $450 million of clean water and drinking water infrastructure projects in New Jersey, the EPA said.
“Working with our state and local partners to ensure our communities have affordable access to clean drinking water remains a critical priority for EPA,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez in a statement. “We are pleased to provide significant funding as part of our overall efforts to help New Jersey meet its critical water infrastructure needs.”
Based on estimates from the U.S. Water Alliance, New Jersey’s CWSRF and DWSRF programs have the potential to create approximately 7,000 jobs.

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Could this be community solar’s chance to shine in NJ?

Murphy administration looks to deliver the benefits of solar power to low- and moderate-income customers

Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight:

The Murphy administration is proposing a new pilot program aimed at bringing affordable solar power to low- and moderate-income customers.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has proposed a new rule to create a community solar program to allow households that have largely been unable to take advantage of the surge in solar systems throughout the state in the past decade.
The pilot, mandated under a sweeping clean-energy bill signed into law by the governor this spring, is designed to create opportunities to offer solar power to renters, multifamily dwellings, and others.
The state has seen the installation of more than 90,000 solar arrays in recent years, but the boom has, for the most part, excluded less well-off populations — even though they also pay a surcharge on utility bills to subsidize the program.
“Heretofore, they pay the SBC (societal benefits charge) just like you and I do,’’ said BPU President Joseph Fiordaliso. “This will give them an opportunity to participate in the program.’’

Community solar catching on

Community solar is a fast-growing segment of the clean-energy sector; more than 17 states already have established such programs. Generally, it refers to local installations that allow multiple subscribers to tap into the solar systems. These are usually people who cannot install their own arrays because their dwellings are in too much shade, or the condition of the roof is unsuitable, or they are simply unable to afford the panels.
“We must ensure that these policies, which are intended to improve the environment for all residents, do not keep any population in the margins,’’ said Gov. Phil Murphy in a press release.
To that end, the proposed program carves out a 40 percent earmark of the overall capacity for low- and moderate-income projects. That provision exceeds the 15 percent target recommended by many stakeholders at a meeting earlier this summer.
But the proposal only establishes a 75-megawatt annual capacity for the community solar program, half of the 150-megawatt capacity suggested by many developers.
“The bigger the program, the more benefits it generates,’’ said Pari Kasotia, Mid-Atlantic director of Vote Solar. “To incentivize project developers, they are looking for a larger program.’’

Could this be community solar’s chance to shine in NJ? Read More »