AVON CLEAN ENERGY COMMISSION
AVON ROOM BLDG. #1 TOWN HALL
MINUTES
APRIL 4, 2012
I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:02 PM by Acting Chairman Bernard Zahren in the Avon Room, Building 1 Town Hall. Members present: Acting Chairman Bernard Zahren, Martin Kaplan, Mitch Kennedy, Richard Kretz and Lisa Levin. Member absent: Brian Glenn. Advisory member present: Jonathan Craig. Advisory members absent: Giorgina Paiella and Diane Zhao. Also in attendance were staff member and Town Clerk Ann Dearstyne and Peregrine Vice President Steven Weisman.
Mr. Zahren introduced new member Richard Kretz. Mr. Kretz said he’s lived in town for 27 years. Mr. Kretz has worked with Mr. Zahren on various energy bills over the last 30 years or so. Mr. Zahren added that help would be needed for financing after the plan is presented and this is where Mr. Kretz can help. Mr. Zahren noted too that the Town Council would be electing an additional member at their meeting tomorrow night. The other members introduced themselves.
II. APPROVAL OF THE PRECEDING MEETING MINUTES – Mar. 7th
VOTE: Mr. Kaplan motioned, Dr. Kennedy seconded and all agreed to accept the March 7th minutes as presented. Mr. Kretz abstained as he is a new member and absent at the meeting.
III. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE
None.
IV. COMMUNICATIONS FROM STUDENT ADVISORS
None.
V. OLD BUSINESS: a. Sub-committee report from March meeting, b. Continue on draft energy plan, c. Update on status of solar PV for the schools
Mr. Zahren asked if anyone had any information about the bidding for the solar for the schools. Dr. Kennedy said he received a request for information from Steve to whom he replied with sample contracts and RFPs, a slide presentation and is waiting for a reply back. Mr. Zahren mentioned that the bid for the new ZRecs is due out next week. He said this should help to determine the method that will be used to finance the panels. The larger projects will bid more aggressively while the smallest tier will be 10% higher than whatever the top tier bids. If they bid out at $200 then it equates out to .22 cents per kW hour. Mr. Zahren said that considering this, the best deal would still be a solar lease as the town wouldn’t want to bond for that high an amount. Mr. Zahren cautioned that he wasn’t sure what the
schools want to do as he’s been having trouble getting a response back. Ms. Dearstyne suggested that he’d have to meet with them. Mr. Craig noted that currently there is a big firm marketing aggressively called Solar Cities. Mr. Craig invited the members to attend a regional forum sponsored by CT Clean Communities (Diana McCarthy Bercury of CL & P) to be held May 22nd, 5-7 PM. Members who will be attending are asked to tell of their successes and challenges at the meeting. Mr. Zahren said Ms. Bercury promotes community outreach and education.
Ms. Dearstyne told of the New Energy Opportunities for Municipalities Seminar which talked about the new municipal pledge of 20% by 2018. She continued that you earn points, and for every 100 earned, you can qualify for small grants (Bright Ideas grants) based on town size. Points are given on town energy initiatives. Items discussed include performance contracting, creating an energy action plan, and incentives for commercial residents. Mr. Zahren asked if a clear path to funding was presented. Ms. Dearstyne said yes and that a worksheet was included to how to go about it.
Mr. Kaplan noted that the State has delayed funding (grants) of the photo electric power that many municipalities got involved in, as well as Farmington Woods, due to a large response from contractors that will need to be gone through.
Ms. Dearstyne reminded that the draft energy plan needed to be wrapped up by the end of next week to be given in time to Mr. Robertson and the Superintendent of Schools. Mr. Zahren thanked the sub-committee, Mr. Craig, Dr. Kennedy and Ms. Levin, for their hard work and asked Mr. Weisman how the Commission should wrap up the plan.
Mr. Weisman met with the sub-committee two weeks ago and incorporated the changes, with Dr. Kennedy still working on some charts to be included. The 20% carbon reduction and next steps are something the Commission will have to write and with the changes, Mr. Weisman said the document will be done. Dr. Kennedy agreed that after incorporating some of the changes into the document that it’s basically done. Mr. Kaplan checked that the sewer pump information and life cycles were included. Ms. Levin liked the use of the text boxes.
Mr. Zahren asked if we needed another sub-committee meeting to finish the draft. Dr. Kennedy suggested other members read through the latest draft to find the next steps. Members discussed the draft plan’s language. Dr. Kennedy and Ms. Levin will make the changes to the most recent draft copy. Ms. Levin suggested that dates and figures be fact checked. Members concurred to omit names in the document. Ms. Dearstyne asked that the corrected draft with agreed placement of graphs be sent electronically to all of the members.
Dr. Kennedy discussed the 20% by 2020 reduction in carbon against the baseline of 2008. He said to take whatever electric grid you’re in and look at the power mix for the area. Avon is located in the ISO New England grid which is composed of nuclear, coal, natural gas, hydro, oil and a little wind power. Dr. Kennedy referred to a spreadsheet showing the power mix of 2008 and 2010 which does show it varied significantly. The third column shows the greenhouse co-efficient of each of those sources of energy. To create a carbon footprint is to take a percentage of each type of energy and multiply it by the greenhouse gas co-efficient times the number of kW hours used by the user. Dr. Kennedy noted that natural gas use has increased because it is less expensive which has actually increased electricity’s carbon
footprint since nuclear is considered to have none. He continued that Avon’s footprint has increased through no fault of its own but because of the increased use of natural gas to generate power. He concluded that Avon would have difficulty meeting its carbon footprint goal given the fluctuating power mix and could be affected by choosing a more favorable baseline year. Ms. Levin suggested avoiding using the narrative to explain this and rely on a graph and answer questions as they arise. She offered to serve as the barometer to what is readable and understandable.
VI. NEW BUSINESS a. Report on Connecticut Energy & Sustainability Forum - Bernie
Mr. Zahren discussed the Saturday CT Energy & Sustainability Forum. He said there was huge interest and found the same frustrations among the attendees of finding ways to finance these things. He added that the towns were not willing to spend the money on anything. Ms. Dearstyne suggested that the towns may not have the money. Mr. Zahren commended the town of Wethersfield for sponsoring the forums and added that they would like to see an association formed of town commissions. Currently the towns meet informally and could grow into a formal association. Mr. Weisman said there was a regional one they were working on for the towns.
VII. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION
Mr. Zahren relayed that he had spoken to Mr. Kushner about the new town center as being a wonderful opportunity to create a green community from scratch. He continued that unfortunately the property is owned by Ensign Bickford and not the town and it will be parceled and bid out to separate developers over a period of years and only the town can suggest that it do this. Mr. Weisman suggested a code could be written to encourage the higher standard where otherwise developers would build to code. Mr. Craig cautioned that businesses would be reluctant to build to standards that would cost them more money. Mr. Zahren offered that there are green condos in New York that actually command higher demand. Dr. Kennedy concurred that builders will build to code unless they see a demand or a mandate. Mr. Weisman suggested including
that the building or planning and zoning departments review existing policies for ways to improve them.
In addition to approving a seventh member at the Town Council, Mr. Zahren would agree to accept the Chair position for the Commission. He said too that the members should elect a vice-chair and consider the position for the next meeting.
VIII. DO ANY BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THIS MEETING
IX. ADJOURN
VOTE: Ms. Levin motioned, Dr. Kennedy seconded and all agreed to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 PM. None opposed.
Respectfully submitted:
Acting Chairman Bernard Zahren
Attest: Ann Dearstyne, Clerk
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