The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts colder temperatures and more snow in Western New York than average this winter. But Honeoye Falls resident Matthew Bowers says he isn’t concerned, even though he doesn’t have a furnace. Bowers, a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology and certified passive home designer, says he’s confident the home he designed […]
Energy
Posted inNews & Opinion
Webster preps solar laws
New York has experienced tremendous growth in solar power over the last several years. Between 2011 and the end of 2015, the number of solar installations — from small residential systems to larger projects — grew from 249 to 1,284 in the Finger Lakes region, according to data from the New York State Energy Research […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Charge up and go
[UPDATED AND REVISED 11/1/16]Cruising Route 66 in your Chevrolet or Pontiac V8 was once the ultimate expression of the American spirit — embodying freedom, restlessness, and the wide open road. But more than a half-century later, electric vehicles are inspiring a much different American spirit: one concerned about the steep fiscal and environmental costs of […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
New York’s carbon emissions dropping
New York’s energy sector has the lowest per capita carbon emissions, 8.1 metric tons, in the US.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Decline in shale gas production expected
Gas production from domestic shale formations is expected to decline in September, says a new report from the US Energy Information Administration. The drop would come just a few months after gas output peaked in May. The explanation for the decline is fairly straightforward: older wells aren’t producing as before, and the new wells aren’t […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Group’s answer to fracking ban: use propane
The first real test of the state’s newly-enacted fracking ban is on the way. And it’s not, as many supporters and opponents of the ban expected, a lawsuit directly challenging the prohibition. Yesterday, a group of farm owners and Tioga Energy LLC announced plans to file an application with the state to extract natural from […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
New York makes its fracking ban official
It is done: New York has officially banned high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the state’s shale formations. State officials announced their intention to ban high-volume fracking back in December, but they also said that they needed to complete a few steps to finish out the environmental review. That’s done, and today, the Department of Environmental issued […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Power plant owners at odds over state subsidies
New York’s electricity marketplace is in transition. Some of the old coal plants have gone offline; more wind and solar power has come online; fuel prices and generation costs are fluctuating; and regulators, utilities, and power plant owners are all trying to figure out how to make the whole thing work. And right now, it’s […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Solar power push
A decade from now, solar power systems could be spread across the City of Rochester, providing low-cost renewable electricity for city homes, churches, public buildings, and businesses. That’s the vision of the people behind a new nonprofit, ROCspot. The organization’s founder, Susan Spencer, says that the best way to work toward that vision is to […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
[UPDATED] Ginna and RG&E get extension for contract talks
UPDATED 4:10 p.m. – In a filing this afternoon, the Public Service Commission granted RG&E and Ginna the extension they requested. Original post: Rochester Gas and Electric and the owners of the Ginna nuclear power plant want more time to negotiate an agreement for the utility to purchase the plant’s electricity. The companies were supposed […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Finger Lakes’ fuel, tourism industries clash
Residents of the Finger Lakes are fiercely protective of the region’s land and waters. As a result, the area is known for open roads and farmland; thick forests and sprawling vineyards; fresh air and, of course, gleaming freshwater. Residents know full well that the 11 Finger Lakes are an asset that few places in the […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Utility regulators direct RG&E to negotiate power contract with Ginna
Rochester Gas and Electric customers will probably have to temporarily prop up the struggling R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant. This morning, the state Public Service Commission directed RG&E to negotiate a temporary electricity purchase contract with Ginna. Earlier this year, Ginna’s owner, Exelon subsidiary Constellation Nuclear Energy Group, filed a petition with the PSC requesting […]
