The Marion Energy Management Committee’s quest to get a solar installation at Benson Brook landfill is approaching a decade in the making, and it has hit another snag.
“It’s not good news,” said committee member Alanna Nelson after speaking with Maria Marasco, executive director of the Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC.)
In her report during the committee’s Monday night public meeting, Nelson said that Eversource has decided that in light of supply-chain issues, it has become the utility company’s priority to use this time to study all the substations, put together working groups and complete what the EMC anticipates will be a lengthy process before jumping into any other large projects such as Marion’s Benson Brook capped landfill solar project.
Nelson represents the Town of Marion on CVEC’s board of directors and is effectively the liaison between the cooperative and the committee.
The ramifications, she suggested, are that other solar projects being considered are in a “forever” timeline because they will result in large amounts of energy going to the grid. According to Nelson, Marasco suggested the EMC look at its smaller projects that with approval from the town, could become spring-season projects for bidding.
EMC member Bill Saltonstall asked if the soon-to-be-built Department of Public Works building at Benson Brook can be considered a “small project” for the purposes of Eversource’s priorities. Nelson said that CVEC has requested the DPW building’s proposed dimensions.
While EMC member Jennifer Francis suggested going “behind the meter” to get around the bureaucratic obstacle, Nelson pointed to potential savings by staying involved with CVEC. If the cooperative takes care of procurement, bulk materials become cheaper, along with billing, by coordinating with one person on site and another in the office, streamlining expenses.
Nelson suggested Marion can benefit by studying what 24 other government organizations are doing, including the Oak Bluffs landfill project.
As a prelude to reevaluating the letter Saltonstall drafted for the EMC to present to Town Administrator Geoff Gorman regarding solar proposals for the town, the committee began reviewing relatively large solar proposals. Saltonstall said the Wastewater Treatment Plant is too large, and member Tom Friedman doubled down, calling the one-acre ground-mount proposal as being too large even behind the meter.
Noting the fossil fuels at the site, EMC Chairman Christian Ingerslev approves of the location and said a solar installation at the WWTP would not affect the power used from Future Generation Wind. Saltonstall suggested that going behind the meter would negate a delivery charge. Friedman cautioned the discussion that from a grid standpoint, the combination of zero production and maximum consumption at any one time could result in 500 kilowatt hours flowing. Nelson and Ingerslev agreed that such a situation would use “a lot of battery.”
“I still think we need to bring it up into the Eversource sphere; otherwise, they won’t be looking at it,” said Ingerslev. “Until we get a no from Eversource, we need to push this through to … whoever it may be.”
Nelson suggested having Eversource conduct an analysis and then explain the ramifications to Marion officials.
Friedman offered to work with Saltonstall on the wording of a letter that the EMC hopes will result in actions taken by town officials. Ingerslev suggested stressing in the letter the reduction that a solar installation would have on fossil fuels.
“The least expensive and easiest to do would be the (Police Station),” said Saltonstall. Nelson added the DPW to that category of simplicity.
Saltonstall took the idea of putting solar panels on the roof of the Cushing Community Center out of his equation. Rather, the letter will tout the idea of a parking-lot canopy. He suggested that the DPW might be too big for Eversource’s consideration.
Where it concerns how the town’s proposed capped landfill solar will go forward, Nelson said that thing’s still technically in the works. “It’s just been thrown another aggravating delay.”
As for solar at the Police Station, Ingerslev said that Chief of Police Richard Nighelli wants charging stations included. “That’s what they really want,” he said.
The discussion concluded with plans for Saltonstall and Friedman to work together on the letter and get it to Gorman. Nelson requested that they note the committee’s relationship with CVEC and that Marasco has indicated interest in meeting with Marion’s new representatives, including Gorman, Town Counsel and the soon-to-be-hired finance director.
The next round small-project consideration would be in the spring, so Nelson recommended categorizing small versus large projects. Saltonstall suggested that the Select Board can assist the process with review so the committee can arrive at costs. Ingerslev suggested taking a particular project, getting a cost estimate and putting it to the Select Board.
According to Saltonstall, the WWTP, Police Station, DPW, Benson Brook capped landfill and Cushing Community Center would be Marion’s larger solar projects.
Acknowledging the committee’s mission to combat global warming with solar installations that would replace the burning of fossil fuels, Saltonstall said, “But if we’re going to make everything electric, we don’t necessarily want to give it to Eversource.”
Friedman explained how, on residents’ electric bill, they are allowed to purchase electricity from any source connected to the grid that supplies them and that many use the town’s electricity-aggregation plan. “But Eversource will always charge you for having the capacity on their lines to get that electricity to your house,” he noted. “So we pay 14 cents per kilowatt hour and another $0.17kwh for delivery.” The difference in going behind the meter, he explained, is that the electricity produced by one’s house that never makes it to the grid not only saves the occupant money on that electricity but on the distribution costs.
“My meter actually goes backwards when I generate electricity, so I get back distribution that way,” said Ingerslev.
In discussing other matters pertaining to the committee’s standard agenda, Ingerslev was not optimistic about influencing the Maritime Center.
“It seems they want to cut the budget more and more and more, so whatever we want to do will go down the drain,” he said.
Member Eileen Marum warned that Hurricane Bob was “just a small, little storm” compared to what’s going on in other parts of the country. Ingerslev countered that “if the engineers know what they’re doing, that building will stand.” Marum believes that the current design allowing water to pass under the building will result in greater force and a more powerful surge. Francis said town insurance covers all municipal buildings.
Nelson noted that the letter does not list the Maritime Center as a potential solar site. “We asked that the roof be strong enough to carry it, and I’m told it will be,” said Ingerslev, but Saltonstall said the roof pitches in directions not suitable for solar but nonetheless suggested the site be included for consideration. Friedman suggested a parking-lot solar canopy at Island Wharf should be considered.
Where it concerns grant funding for town vehicles, Saltonstall reported to the EMC that Green Communities is requiring a lot more data on Mass Energy Insight and will issue information for a new plan to access data. He said the state is trying to track the life of vehicles from beginning to end with a continuing record. He anticipated a little more work involved in preparing the town’s annual report to Green Communities but has nothing specific yet on how it will change the annual submission.
Saltonstall was disappointed to note that paperwork for Green Communities consideration that he thought was complete either “didn’t get finished or submitted … doesn’t look like we’ll be able to apply in October, we’ll have to wait until the next round.”
Nelson asked if the EMC should invite Marion Facilities Director Shaun Cormier to its next meeting. Saltonstall said Green Communities is not asking for pricing on the next round of grant applications until October 20, “so it seems like there’s plenty of time, but that’s not how Green Communities looks at it. … We missed out, I think. We have plenty of time to do a really good job on the next one.”
To date, Green Communities, the state’s energy-saving incentive program, has awarded Marion approximately $400,000 in grant funding.
Anticipating the town’s renewal of its community electricity aggregation program, Saltonstall suggested the EMC be involved.
“I think this committee ought to be consulted by the town administrator before he makes a choice on which energy aggregate program to be in,” he said, noting that there will be a competitive bidding for Good Energy to run Marion’s aggregation program. “For the two (or) three-year period the town has been in an aggregation plan, they’ve always chosen the cheapest plan, it’s always been a money issue.”
Nelson reported that Fairhaven citizens asked their Select Board during a Town Meeting to make the choice of the most renewable, which cost them a little bit more but with a guaranteed rate. She said the regular Eversource supply changes its rate every six months and that electricity aggregation saved a ton of money for its participants across the region last year.
Nelson said Marion residents can access all the pertinent information on electricity aggregation on the Energy Management Committee’s page at marionma.gov.
After inviting her participation in Monday night’s meeting, the committee voted to recommend Kim Holbrook for membership.
Citing conflict with the October 23 Special Town Meeting, the Marion Energy Management Committee did not schedule its next meeting upon adjournment.
Marion Energy Management Committee
By Mick Colageo