College offers creative ideas at heating, energy roundtable

By Owen Boss

FITCHBURG — As part of a comprehensive effort by the Attorney General’s Office to preemptively address staggering energy cost increases this winter, a roundtable was held Wednesday that brought together local government officials and energy providers to help come up with ideas that could help consumers get through the upcoming heating season. According to a letter from the office, which was distributed at the meeting, the cost of heating a home with oil this winter is predicted to rise as much as 42 percent from 2007, and the cost of heating with natural gas is expected to increase by about 32 percent. Those rates, coupled with an anticipated 6 percent increase in electricity costs may force residents to choose between heating their homes and buying food, according to the same letter. Attorney General Martha Coakley, who arranged the meeting, said it was arranged so alternative heating and payment options can be weighed out before an anticipated home heating crisis this winter. “Heating costs are expected to reach record levels this winter, and we are very concerned about the impact on our communities,” said Ms. Coakley. “Not only will it be far more costly to keep our homes, schools and other municipal buildings warm, but there are also a number of public health and safety concerns as a result of these high costs. Our goal in hosting these roundtables is to bring together those who are on the front lines of addressing these issues to open the lines of communications and encourage collaboration.” As the commonwealth’s ratepayer advocate, Ms. Coakley plays an important role in mitigating energy rate increases by representing consumers in matters involving the price and delivery of natural gas and electricity before state and federal regulators. In 2007, litigation efforts on behalf of the office resulted in more than $10 million in savings for consumers. Also on hand on the meeting was Mayor Lisa Wong, who said she had arranged similar discussions in the city. “In the city of Fitchburg, we also are concerned with energy and have begun our own series of meetings to ensure the warmth and safety of the citizens of Fitchburg,” said Ms. Wong. “We are meeting with elected officials, nonprofit agencies and private businesses to frame the issues, strategize efficient utilization of resources and to ensure that information is shared as widely as possible.” Among the featured guest speakers at the meeting was Ed Terceiro, Mount Wachusett Community College Executive vice president, who has been credited with helping the college switch from an all-electric campus to one focused on sustainability. “I have been asked to come here and show you all what the college has done and how it could work in the private sector,” said Mr. Terceiro. “When I came to the college it was an all-electric campus. We were spending so much and we knew that we had to change our approach. We looked at oil, we looked at gas and we decided on using biomass and now have a closed-loop hydronic system.” Mr. Terceiro went on to describe how the switch had saved the college more than $3 million since its implementation six years ago, and several new ideas coming out of the college from research funding. One of these ideas is a portable energy production device utilizing wood chips that Mr. Terceiro said could be brought into disaster sites and produce not only electricity but fresh water. “With events like Hurricane Katrina, what is always left over? Debris,” said Mr. Terceiro. “We could put this device on the back of a flatbed truck, drive it right to the disaster site, and chip up this wood to power emergency generators. This would eliminate waste, help the relief effort and produce fresh water. And the best part is you could move it wherever you want.” The Fitchburg roundtable will be followed by similar events in Plymouth, Holyoke and Salem. Information gathered at each roundtable will aid the attorney general’s office in representing energy customers around the state in future rate proceedings. oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 4 on 9/25/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 227)