Mike Walsh

Climate, energy and equity tactician in metro-Boston. Founding Partner of Groundwork Data.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

An ideal net zero target aims to mitigate GHG emissions to a level that reflects the VERY HIGH risk that CO2 removal does not scale, while aiming to develop CO2 removal technologies to a level that reflects the HIGH risk that sufficient mitigation may not be achieved.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@DMoKreis Seems like dual fuel heat pump + oil/lpg backup could avoid a lot of as infrastructure $$$ in Franklin.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@binarybits 2010 Prius

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@peterjhasson We made it work in a Prius

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@KevinSKrause NYSERDA did this calculation (either for leaked value or SCM) and the payback was one of the worst investments you see in energy

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@KevinSKrause Leaked value of gas? or Social cost of emitted methane? The calculated leak using emission factors are wildly off. A leak prone pipe doesn't necessarily leak, a leaky pipe leaks a lot.

I agree, seasonal is a temporary solution and mostly should be applied to distribution costs

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@KevinSKrause It was $237 last year, looks like they are homing in around $254 this year.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@KevinSKrause Right after I wrote this, I get a data request in from a gas company: Annual cost of pipeline modernization per residential bill increased from $64 in 2020 to $313 (filed proposal)

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@KevinSKrause How much is your local gas company spending on system modernization? When will your electric company adopt a seasonal heat pump rate?

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@JosephMajkut Umm...

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@duncancampbell Taps sign

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@GurjotSidhu_96 @gwhuber2 Expensive processes prone to disruption + cheap products that don't generate enough revenue to cover cosrs.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@gnievchenko shocking news

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@mattyglesias The bill did do a lot to streamline permitting as shown by this summary of the recommendations that inspired the bill. New approval timelines are pretty fixed, intervenors will be able to make their case but not materially slow things down.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@xiaowang1984 @jglarusso @AcadiaCtr Swinging by to build consensus between the 3 of us AND the Yankee report on hydrogen blending in gas pipelines. As @BButterworth11 said, the report was so right-wing that they made the full horseshoe and took the left-activist position on hydrogen.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@ampressman DM me. We're trying to buy.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@JesseJenkins Let's also keep pushing the fact that much of the consumer tech that will reduce emissions is inherently better technology that in many cases is more afordable and even when it is not, it almost always creates more value for the consumer to justify its cost.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@BSmithwood The 1000 car dealers don't check #1 and #2. But they have done similar horrible things at the local level.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@BSmithwood Is 1 Elon better/worse for America than 1,000 local car dealers?

I actually want to argue this with you from all sides at the next reunion.

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@xiaowang1984 That makes sense. I do recall walking into some animosity about this in 2005 with some division down the arts vs. eng/sci grad students during the 2002/4 effort. I want to say the engineers were happy with their stipends and did not want to unionization. Memory is fuzzy too

[Mike Walsh @MichaelJayWalsh]

@xiaowang1984 You and I were at Cornell at the same time starting in 2005, there was no unionization vote during those years. There was one soon before we arrived in 2004 or 2002. I can't pin down the exact date because the internet sucks for prehistoric history now.