Notes and News from Carl Johnson Consulting, LLC

Notes, ideas, and up-to-date information on how your business can work with New York State's environmental and energy policies.
 

Renewable energy - still a good investment

By CJ on April 1, 2010 12:45 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
The fiscal situation in New York hasn't improved - and still, the Public Service Commission last week announced ongoing support and incentives for renewable energy projects in New York, approving $429 million over the next five years. Funding from the Renewable Portfolio Standard will incentivize customer-sited renewables ($279 million) and large-scale solar photovoltaic, anaerobic digester and fuel cell projects ($150 million). In times of severe economic distress, with major state services being cut back, New York continues to show its commitment to meeting its renewable energy goals.

Renewables can be a cost-effective, beneficial component of any project, and the State and Federal governments are providing major incentives. Can your project afford to leave money on the table?
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Think of renewable energy first, not last

By Carl Johnson on March 8, 2010 10:54 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
Often, we hear from clients who are well underway with project planning, have heard there are incentives and good reasons for making renewables part of their project - but they've already ordered their backup power, they've already set up their power purchase, they've already constrained the site. So in the end, despite best intentions, the best they'll end up with is some supplementary solar or high-efficiency appliances. They've missed the opportunity to green the project, and they've missed out on the long-term savings they could achieve.

In order to succeed, you need to think about renewables -  and that includes conservation measures - right from the start. With proper planning, you can access generous incentives, generate renewable energy credits, and make your project far more energy-efficient over the long term. 

Carl Johnson Consulting, LLC, helps project sponsors identify cost-effective renewable and conservation technologies that fit the project, many of which are subsidized. Call us to learn how we can help you.
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"Who can keep track of all these new rules??!!"

By Carl Johnson on February 22, 2010 2:47 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
Every single day, the Federal Register prints new rules, proposals, and interpretations of environmental and energy regulations that can affect your operations. If you operate in New York or the neighboring states, there are even more changes in the works, from the need to evaluate your carbon emissions to new RACT requirements. How can you keep track of it all?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just launched a new Rulemaking Gateway, and so far it looks like a very useful tool for companies with compliance obligations. The site lets you sort rulemakings by topics, by the phase the rulemaking is in, and even by effects - so if you want to check out all the pending rulemakings that  anticipate an effect on small business, for example, you can keep tabs on them through this website. EPA is currently looking for feedback on this new site, and we highly encourage you to take it for a test run.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has a less sophisticated site but still makes it relatively easy to keep an eye on its regulatory proposals, which are featured on this webpage. DEC also publishes (by email) a weekly Environmental Notice Bulletin, which covered required notices of proposed actions throughout the state, including SEQR notices, proposed regulations, and permit activity.

It's still a huge amount to wade through. That's why one of the most important services Carl Johnson Consulting provides to its clients is to keep them up to date on Federal, State and local policies that could have impacts on their operations. Check out the official websites linked above, and if you have any questions about what you see, please give us a call or send us an email.


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Does it matter to you if climate change is real?

By Carl Johnson on February 15, 2010 1:00 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
No matter when legislation is passed in Washington, or what final shape it takes, climate change regulations are already affecting your business. Twenty-five states now have some form of cap-and-trade program running or under development. Some states are already requiring projects to review their carbon impacts, an entirely new area of analysis. And the Securities and Exchange Commission has just issued new interpretive guidance for publicly traded companies required to disclose climate change information (for an excellent summary of this guidance by White & Case, please click here.)

As we get closer and closer to climate change legislation in the U.S., the advocates for both sides get more and more shrill, and the ratio of signal-to-noise is not improving. With all the vehemence and vitriol, is it possible for the uncommitted to determine what the answer is?

For most companies today, the secret answer is: it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if manmade climate change is happening now or not. If your company operates in the environmental or energy sector, what matters is the opportunities that are being created. The advocates too often miss the point that our climate change policies will drive us toward:

  • Energy independence
  • American jobs - including manufacturing jobs
  • Advanced energy technology.

Opponents who are worried about the costs of compliance too often miss the fact that for more than 40 years we have only increased our dependence on foreign oil, sending untold trillions of dollars out of the country. Redirecting our spending to the benefit of domestic companies and American jobs can only be a good thing. There's a reason General Electric has added 650 renewable energy jobs to its Schenectady, N.Y., operations - jobs with an average salary of $75,000.

The smart companies aren't waiting for one side or the other to prevail - they're already benefiting from the inevitable movement toward climate change regulation.


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"How soon can I get my permits?"

By Carl Johnson on February 9, 2010 4:32 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
Your project is a puzzle, and the pieces not only have to fit, they have to fall into place at the right times. Often, the hardest piece of the puzzle is timing of permits -- and environmental permits can be the trickiest of all. With all the levels of government you have to deal with, it's easy to miss a requirement that can trip you up, causing costly delays.

Environmental approvals can seem like a maze -- wrong turns, dead ends, and no clear view of the finish. What can you do to keep your project moving through the environmental maze? Plenty.

  • First, talk to your regulators, early and often. If you wait until you need your permits to start working on them, the bureaucrats aren't going to feel your pain.
  • Second, make sure you know all the permits you need, who needs to issue them, and which part of your team is responsible for them. It's best to have one person on your team who keeps track of all the permits.
  • Third, and most important: prepare to be flexible. Project sponsors often lose critical weeks or months arguing with regulators over what turn out to be relatively small points. Don't win the battle to lose the war.
No project is easy in New York, but with the right guidance, you can get the pieces to fit. Call Carl Johnson Consulting, LLC, for help in putting it all together.
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Are you ready?

By Carl Johnson on February 7, 2010 11:28 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks
New York State has long led the way on climate change regulation. From the early days of the Governor's Greenhouse Gas Task Force through the development of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, to the inclusion of important climate change considerations in the new State Energy Plan, New York has led the way. You may think that if you're not in the business of energy generation, it doesn't affect you. But controlling fossil fuel emissions from power plants is only the beginning. New York State already requires that projects examine energy use and greenhouse gas emissions as part of the SEQR process -- not only direct emissions, but also indirect emissions caused by your project may need to be evaluated. Depending on your project, you may need to be evaluating your direct energy use as well as the indirect effects of your project. Of course, what triggers significance is undefined -- like a lot of things in SEQR, the lead agency will know it when it sees it. Project sponsors heading into the SEQR process would be well-advised to look at those potential impacts, and be prepared to reduce or mitigate them, early in the process in order to avoid surprises.
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