Baker-Polito Administration Awards $20 Million for Energy Storage Projects

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $20 Million for Energy Storage Projects

Funding Highlights Second Phase of Administration’s Energy Storage Initiative

MARLBOROUGH – The Baker-Polito Administration today awarded $20 million in grants to 26 projects that will develop the Commonwealth’s energy storage market and deliver benefits to Massachusetts ratepayers and the electrical grid. Recognizing the potential benefits energy storage holds for the Commonwealth, paired with the strength of submitted projects, the Administration doubled the available funding from the initial $10 million commitment. The awarded projects will benefit 25 communities and draw in $32 million in matching funds, helping to grow the Commonwealth’s energy storage economy. 

The grants were awarded as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Energy Storage Initiative (ESI) Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage (ACES) program, funded by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) through Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) and administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).  The announcement was made by Governor Baker during an event at UMass Memorial – Marlborough Hospital. The critical care facility will use funding received under the grant program to integrate a 400kw solar canopy and energy storage system, reduce energy use and costs, shave its peak demand and increase its overall resilience.

“The development and deployment of energy storage projects will be vital to the Commonwealth’s ability to continue leading the nation in energy efficiency,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Funding these storage projects is an investment in our energy portfolio that will reduce costs for ratepayers and help create a clean and resilient energy future.”

“Massachusetts has a rich history of leadership in innovation and this storage grant program is another important step for the Commonwealth’s energy industry,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We look forward to these projects playing an important role in their local communities and delivering the many benefits energy storage can provide to Massachusetts ratepayers.” 

Launched by the Baker-Polito Administration in 2015, the ESI aims to make Massachusetts a national leader in energy storage by analyzing opportunities to support energy storage companies, accelerating the development of early commercial storage technologies and developing policy options to encourage energy storage deployment. The first phase of the ESI, the State of Charge study released in September 2016, identified hundreds of millions of dollars of potential ratepayer benefits from the deployment of energy storage in Massachusetts. The study analyzed the benefits of 10 specific use cases to evaluate how storage economics vary by business model, market involvement and location. These awards represent eight of those use cases and an additional use case not previously identified in the report. 

“Energy storage has the potential to revolutionize the energy sector in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton. “The Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage program puts Massachusetts one step closer to realizing the hundreds of millions of dollars in system benefits and ratepayer savings that the deployment of energy storage can provide, while position the state to achieve its energy storage target.”

In June, in accordance with the bipartisan comprehensive energy diversification legislation signed by Governor Baker in August of 2016, DOER announced a 200 Megawatt hour (MWh) energy storage target for the state’s three electric distribution companies to achieve by January 1, 2020. The projects awarded under the ACES program represent a total of 32 MW and 85 MWh of energy storage capacity, of which 16 MW and 45 MWh are within electric distribution company territory.  Massachusetts currently has approximately 4 MW and 7 MWh of advanced energy storage installed.   

“Energy storage is a strategic opportunity for the Commonwealth to transform the way we utilize our energy resources,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson. “The projects receiving funding through the ACES program will provide a roadmap for how Massachusetts can integrate storage into our diversified energy portfolio to lower overall energy costs, increase grid efficiency by decreasing peak demand, and more effectively utilize our strong clean energy sector.”

“These projects represent a substantial step forward for the emerging energy storage sector in Massachusetts,” said MassCEC CEO Stephen Pike. “The Commonwealth’s leadership in developing this industry will allow renewable energy sources to be harnessed to their full potential and increase the resiliency of the electrical grid.”

The projects awarded funding are:

Location	Facility	Awardees	Amount
Acton	Education	EnerNOC	$1,250,000
Amherst	Education	UMass-Amherst	$1,143,000
Ashburnham	Utility	Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company	$600,000
Boston	Education	UMass-Boston	$850,000
Boston	Commercial	General Electric - Headquarters	$221,000
Boston	Hospital	Boston Medical Center	$403,000
Braintree	Utility	Borrego Solar Systems	$700,000
Brockton, Leicester	Commercial	Advanced Microgrid Solutions	$645,000
Clinton, Dracut, Leominster, Taunton	Commercial	Greenlots	$439,000
Edgartown	Transit Authority	Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority	$545,000
Everett	Hotel and Casino	Tesla	$1,074,000
Lexington	Research Center	Solect Energy	$1,000,000
Lunenburg	Utility	NuGen Capital	$1,225,000
Marlborough	Hospital	UMass Memorial-Marlborough Hospital	$686,000
Nantucket	Residential Sites	Tesla	$1,250,000
New Bedford	Manufacturing	Borrego Solar Systems	$700,000
North Reading	Utility	Reading Municipal Light Department	$1,000,000
Norwood	Biotechnology	NextEra Energy	$500,000
Shirley	Utility	National Grid	$875,000
Somerville	Commercial	Ameresco	$348,000
Taunton	Utility	Taunton Municipal Light Plant	$1,250,000
Various Locations	Residential Sites	Sunrun	$561,000
Greater Boston	Commercial	Constellation	$1,250,000
Vineyard Haven	Agriculture	WH Bennett	$382,000
Wakefield	Utility	Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company	$800,000
West Boylston	Utility	West Boylston Municipal Light Plant	$243,000

Additional information on the funded projects can be found here.

Energy storage technologies include batteries, flywheels, thermal storage, and pumped hydroelectric storage, which are capable of storing energy during off peak periods when costs are low and then make energy available during peak periods when costs are higher. Energy storage also makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of renewable energy sources, like solar, by storing energy generated during the day for use at night. Energy storage can also provide power during outages, result in greenhouse gas reductions, and increase the electric grid’s overall reliability and resilience. 

“We are appreciative of Governor Baker and his administration for their support of Marlborough and our important community resources like Marlborough Hospital. This program through the Baker-Polito Administration, DOER and MassCEC will help create a new energy storage industry here in Massachusetts,” said Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant. “UMass Memorial Hospital’s leadership in this industry is demonstrated by its innovative proposal to combine energy storage with CHP and solar to create a unique microgrid that will allow this critical facility to continue to operate even in a widespread power outage.”

“On behalf of UMass Memorial Health Care and Marlborough Hospital, we are appreciative of the Baker Administration’s support of initiatives that promote and ensure safe, resilient and reliable energy infrastructure.  We all must continue to look at ways to reduce greenhouse gas, cut energy costs and provide a cleaner healthy environment for our community,” said Steve Roach, President and CEO, UMass Memorial – Marlborough Hospital. 

“With this innovative grant program Massachusetts continues to demonstrate its leadership in clean and resilient energy solutions,” said State Representative Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough). “I commend the Baker-Polito Administration, DOER and MassCEC for their hard work and congratulate UMass Memorial Hospital for being awarded this grant which will demonstrate a cutting edge energy efficient and resilient microgrid at a critical facility in Massachusetts.”

“Recent advances in energy storage technology will transform the way homes and businesses in communities across the Commonwealth interact with energy resources,” said State Representative Carmine L. Gentile (D-Sudbury). “This funding will allow UMass Memorial Hospital and many others to take full advantage of the potential of renewable energy sources and promote the expansion of a clean, resilient, reliable, and responsible energy infrastructure in Massachusetts.”

“I want to thank the Baker-Polito Administration, DOER and MassCEC for launching this smart grant program that allows the state to identify energy-storage solutions throughout Massachusetts,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “Energy storage is critical to building a resilient clean energy grid for the future, and I want to congratulate UMass Memorial Hospital in Marlborough and the Acton-Boxborough School District for demonstrating how to produce savings while providing clean, reliable energy.”

“The Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage grant program is an important component of the Baker-Polito Administration’s ongoing commitment to promoting more clean energy sources and expanding the state’s energy storage capacity,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading).  “This funding will enable the Reading Municipal Light Department to better manage peak energy demand while also providing RMLD customers with more reliable and cost-effective service.”

“The North Reading proposal will provide significant value to the region,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “Energy storage is critical to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy generation, peak demand response capacity, and robustness of the grid. Using this unique lithium ion system will help our environment and economy.”

“These grants demonstrate the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to being a leader on clean energy and resiliency” said House Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset). “I am pleased that Taunton Municipal Light Plant has been chosen to participate and will be undertaking an innovative battery storage project with a new solar array.”

“The advances taking place in energy storage will change the game and keep our power flowing efficiently at both low- and peak-power periods,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton), founding chair of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. “I’m pleased that these grants will help our communities take advantage of this technology and help them save money while making our grid as clean and stable as possible.”

“The Northeast Clean Energy Council congratulates the companies and projects announced today as well as the Baker Administration for its leadership in kick-starting the Commonwealth's energy storage market,” said Northeast Clean Energy Council President Peter Rothstein. “We look forward to seeing these and many other energy storage projects come online to demonstrate new business models and bring significant value to Massachusetts through monetary savings, high-priority energy and environmental policy impacts, grid management and resiliency benefits, and economic growth.”

Since releasing the study, DOER has implemented a majority of the report’s recommendations to promote energy storage in the Commonwealth. They include, but are not limited to, becoming the first state in the nation to incentivize the pairing of energy storage with solar in the new proposed solar incentive program, SMART; conducting solar-plus-storage feasibility studies for Massachusetts manufacturing companies; authorizing the pairing of energy storage technologies with the largest procurement of clean and offshore wind energy generation in state history, 9,450,000MWh of clean energy generation and 1,600MW of offshore wind energy generation; continued energy storage grant opportunities through the Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative; and funding energy storage projects through the Peak Demand Reduction Grant Program.

中華耆英會健康戒煙嘉年華 200多人出席

後排左起：中華耆英會營養師何慧寧，行政主任梅伍銀寬，
副行政主任張青梅與塔芙茨醫療中心的代表在。

中華耆英會在塔芙茨醫療中心亞裔健康倡導計畫的資助下於12月4日，周一上午在華埠康樂樓地下室的社區活動中心舉辦「健康戒煙嘉年華」活動。活動吸引了近200名市民參加。波士頓的11家健康機構，其中包括塔芙茨醫療中心，中城家庭健康服務社，華美福利會等都有參展。 現場提供免費的健康諮詢、量血壓、按摩。每位來參加的市民都得到了小禮物。

耆英會副行政主任張青梅表示本活動的宗旨是為華埠社區提供戒煙資訊，讓希望戒煙的人可以找到相關的信息，為無煙社區作出貢獻。

中華耆英會現在提供戒煙方面的資訊與輔導，並可協助索取免費戒煙貼。如果你或你的家人有意戒煙，可聯繫中華耆英會張姑娘：617-542-7458。(圖與文:中華耆英會提供)

波士頓北一女校友會 江佩蓉接任會長

波士頓北一女校友門。(謝立言提供)

(Boston Orange 周菊子摩頓市報導)波士頓北一女校友會12月2日晚在摩頓市稻香餐廳舉行2017年會，江佩蓉接棒，吳國志卸任。近80名出席校友及眷屬，嘉賓，在候任會長李欣主持的餘興節目中唱歌，講笑話，抽獎，歡度一晚。

波士頓北一女校友會部分幹部合影。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

當晚的一個驚奇點是包括北一女校友們自己在內，許多人不知道，就像建中早年有女生一樣，原來北一女也有男生。12月2日晚，北一女的男生校友謝立言上台說明，北一女真的有男生，那是1950，60年代，台北五省中有”新店聯合分校”，1964年直屬北一女，於是他也成了貨真價實的北一女校友。

左起，波士頓北一女校友會現任會長吳國志，創會會長趙小怡，
新任會長江佩蓉，候任會長李欣。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

在交接時，卸任會長吳國志隆重介紹接任會長江佩蓉，指她是北一女，台大高材生，來美深造後，不但進美林證券工作，還到大學教書，更熱心服務社區，歷任勒星頓中文學校的校長，教務長，老師等多個職位。還會彈琴，唱歌，跳舞，烹飪也厲害，最令人佩服的是她還風趣，很會講笑話，人又謙虛。

2010年才從北一女畢業的校友。(周菊子攝)

報告會務時，吳國志表示，該會宗旨為聚集校友，聯繫彼此，互相支援，迄今加入的校友，從畢業已50餘年的，到2010年才畢業的都有。
該會創立迄今，由於創會會長趙小怡，以及校友江佩蓉，李欣，許聰玲等許多人的熱心服務，校友們之間的感情越來越好。今年該會舉辦了三大活動，包括五月慶祝母親節餐會，和建中校友會合辦夏季野餐，以及當晚的年會。此外他們也參加許多波士頓華人社區活動。
今年比較特別的一件事是波士頓北一女校友會加入了共分為12區的北一女海外校友會。其中8區在美國，有美東的紐約，波士頓，華府，美西的南加，北加，中部的休斯頓，達拉斯等。

波士頓北一女校友會現任會長吳國志致詞。(周菊子攝)

駐波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪是北一女校友眷屬。他竟然連波士頓北一女校友會是在2015年12月6日這天成立的，都記得非常清楚。他在致詞時透露，這是他第五次參加波士頓北一女校友會活動，還幽默開玩笑，說北一女校友眷屬必須善於”揣摩上意”，才能家庭幸福，為表示他以做為北一女校友眷屬為榮之心，特地帶了巧克力到會，但為顧及校友們的身材，原則上以一人一顆為限。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪是北一女校友眷屬。(周菊子攝)

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉致詞不忘政令宣導，籲請北一女校友在一月一日早上10點半就到僑教中心出席元旦升旗活動，以及其後陸續舉辦的迎春揮毫，5月5日(第一個禮拜六)牛頓台灣日等活動。他笑說，”有Happy Wife就有Happy Life”，所以北一女校友們個個重要。
當晚出席的北一女校友，有好幾位現任僑團負責人，包括新英格蘭玉山科技協會會長許翠玲，新英格蘭中文學校協會會長陳燕貞。校友眷屬中，最受矚目的當然是校友雲雯蓁的夫婿，駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪，以及校友張玲玲的另一半，哈佛大學教授孔祥重。

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉致詞。(周菊子攝)

波士頓北一女校友會的男生校友謝立言。(周菊子攝)

波士頓年終僑務座談 近70人出席

僑教中心主任歐宏偉(右起)主持討論。兩名僑務委員，梅錫銳，
蔣宗壬與經文處處長賴銘琪坐主席台。

(Boston Orange)駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處和波士頓僑教中心12月2日舉辦民國106年僑務工作座談會，底定了民國107年各項大型僑社活動項目及日期。會議共有僑務榮譽職人員，僑團負責人等近70人出席，發言踴躍，討論熱絡。

              這場僑務工作座談會由波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪開場，波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉主持討論，兩名波士頓僑務委員蔣宗壬，梅錫銳列席與僑務工作人員互動。

會上先播放了「僑務委員會--僑胞永遠的家」最新版影片，再由賴銘琪處長感謝僑胞過去一年來協助籌辦，積極參與經文處及僑教中心舉辦的各項僑社活動。

駐波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪(立者左)，波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉(右)
主持會議。

在採納僑胞建議下，波士頓僑教中心當天首次安排駐地工作人員張小慧、陳美樺及王羿云等人做簡報，分別就三人各自負責的業務做說明，包括僑委會目前積極推動安心健檢計畫，鼓勵僑胞回國參加十月慶典，以及全球華文網，全球僑商網近期動態，僑委會為鼓勵僑胞回台灣消費，發行了僑胞卡，為促進世界各地僑胞了解彼此，保持對台灣的關愛，將繼續發行僑務電子報等事宜。

勒星頓中文學校校長黃冠群(圖左站立者)針對全球華文網提建言。

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉表示，安排工作人員做簡報，可達到讓僑務工作人員在了解僑務政策，當前重要工作之餘，也同時認識僑教中心工作人員的作用。

歐宏偉接著主持討論，並預報了下年度波士頓地區將舉辦的活動，包括元旦升旗，團拜，迎春聯合揮毫，牛頓台灣日，台灣傳統週訪問，台灣青年搭橋計畫專案等。語彙眾人還討論了如何推展波士頓關懷救助協會，籌辦雙十國慶文化團到訪，以及如何藉由台灣美食讓大家看見台灣等議題。

歐宏偉表示，出席眾人在會中所提的寶貴意見與建議，都將呈報給僑務委員會參考辦理。(內容及圖片由僑教中心提供)

大波士頓14市鎮長結盟 攜手推動可負擔住宅

MAYOR WALSH,  MAYOR CURTATONE AND METRO MAYORS COALITION ANNOUNCE REGIONAL HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

New partnership will focus on regional goals to create a regional housing strategy for Greater Boston's growing population

BOSTON - Tuesday, December 5, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and representatives of the 14 cities and towns of the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition of Greater Boston today announced the creation of a new regional housing partnership. The partnership will address the housing needs of the Metro Boston area, with a focus on housing production, diversity, cost, location, design and increasing stability for the region's residents. The partnership will create a regional work plan, which will establish a regional housing production goal, along with specific strategies to achieve that goal throughout the 14-community region. "Affordable housing is one of our top priorities in Boston -- and we know that for Metro Boston to be affordable for all residents, we need to work together with cities and towns throughout the region," said Mayor Walsh. "This plan is another step forward towards ensuring all those who wish to live here can, and I look forward to working with our partner cities and towns across the region to continue creating homes for all." "Our entire region is facing and must solve the same pressing challenge: Metro Boston's affordability crisis and its limited housing stock. But the solutions cannot be one-size-fits-all, which is why this task force is so critical," said Mayor Curtatone. "It will give us the opportunity to work together toward our common housing goals while tailoring solutions to our communities' unique needs and tapping the brightest minds in our housing-related sectors to assist us in our work."  With this new regional effort, the Metro Mayors have outlined a pledge to: Increase the pace of housing construction in every community throughout Metro Boston, sharing the burden of production in order to increase housing affordability for all household types and incomes; Create more housing, both renter- and owner-occupied, in a variety of sizes, including units with two or three bedrooms suitable for families with children; Locate housing near transit and in walkable areas; Utilize design standards that increase physical accessibility for all ages and abilities; Reduce evictions, eliminate unfair rental practices, mitigate displacement, create permanent housing for the homeless, and ensure safe, stable housing; Abolish discrimination against both tenants and buyers, and advance fair, equitable access to housing opportunity. To do this, the group will identify a regional housing production goal and a timeline to achieve it. The plan will take into account demographic data and projections, economic forecasts, development trends, and analysis of current production levels. The target will break down the demand for housing type by price, size and location, and will account for the need for both rental and ownership unit creation. The group will also recommend changes to zoning, local policies, funding calculations for state aid toward public schools, and other tools each city and town can use to help address the housing affordability crisis together. Working as a regional team, the group will also be able to respond faster to residents in crisis, finding resources and taking action to provide direct assistance.    The Metro Mayors Coalition is a collaborative, problem-solving group of municipal leaders facilitated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), which serves 101 cities and towns across Greater Boston. The Metro Mayors Coalition includes mayors and managers from Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop. Mayor Walsh and Mayor Curtatone will co-chair the partnership. "The Baker-Polito Administration is proud to support MAPC and the Metro Mayors coalition, to help deliver regional solutions to regional housing needs," said Undersecretary for Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay. "Massachusetts needs to deliver more housing, more quickly, and in more places. By focusing on establishing a measurable regional housing goal, and building concrete strategies to deliver on that goal, this initiative will help advance a housing market that works for everyone - from innovation economy employees to the service sector workforce, and from young families to older adults." "Limited housing supply makes it very difficult for residents to find places to live, and means employers have a harder time recruiting and retaining workers. Housing has a significant impact on our region's economic health and future," said Marc Draisen, Executive Director of MAPC. "And we need housing that works for a variety of household types and incomes, from renters to first-time homebuyers to families with children, empty-nesters, seniors, and those with disabilities." This partnership further upholds Boston and Somerville's commitment to ensuring affordable housing exists for all residents. To date, the Walsh administration has committed more than $100 million in funding to the creation and preservation of affordable housing. Today's announcement builds on the City's preservation and anti-displacement goals, outlined in Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, Mayor Walsh's housing plan, and the housing goals laid out in Imagine Boston 2030, Boston's first citywide plan in 50 years. As part of both plans, Boston has prioritized increasing the overall housing supply, with a focus on creating and preserving affordable housing. As a mid-sized city, Somerville is striving to employ innovative approaches to prevent displacement and expand housing production and housing preservation for all needs from affordable and workforce housing to market rate and senior housing. The city is currently on track to exceed the first five years of scheduled housing targets in its SomerVision: 2010-2030 Comprehensive Plan. Among other initiatives, Somerville has increased its inclusionary housing requirement, instituted mechanisms to expand developer contributions to affordable housing, introduced the workforce housing category into its affordable housing equation, and has established the innovative 100 HOMESproject to purchase, and preserve as permanently affordable, units otherwise threatened by speculation. For more information on the partnership, visit www.mapc.org/metro-mayors-coalition.

波士頓市長進華埠 點亮聖誕燈 (圖片)

波士頓華埠王氏青年會歡慶聖誕

波士頓華埠王氏青年會主任Patricia Barnwell(左二)和董事陳文浩(右一)
等人歡迎新當選波士頓市議會第二區市議員的愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)。

         (Boston Orange)波士頓華埠王安青年會12月3日舉辦年度聖誕節聯歡會，700餘人在場地1佈置氣氛十足，各色遊戲豐富，美食可口中，歡度一下午。                     舉辦聖誕聯歡會，和社區內的家庭，小朋友一起提前慶祝，已是波士頓華埠王氏青年會行之30年的傳統。                                  社區內許多小朋友，家長都很期待一天。                                       該會董事，包括Nancy Soloman，陳文浩，陳灼鋆，黃伯勳等，以及陳文浩夫人陳余寶愛，麻州眾議員黃子安的母親黃陳美蘭等許多人，昨日都在會場當義工。
           往年例必出席的華裔退伍軍人會周暢夫婦，曾任青年會董事的阮浩鑾，麻州眾議員黃子安，以及波士頓華埠王安青年會發展主任陳魯誠等人，因各種不同理由，今年未能到場。

         甫於11月7日當選為波士頓市新科市議員的愛德華費林，昨(3)日特地到會，向社區謝票，聯絡感情。(所有圖片，陳文浩提供)

         

         

前昆士中學校長黃伯勳(右起)，波士頓華埠社區議會議員陳灼鋆，
都曾擔任波士頓華埠王氏青年會董事多年。

波士頓華埠王氏青年會董事Nancy Solomon(左一)和青年會
主任(右一)及出席小朋友一起切聖誕蛋糕。