Public Facilities voted to approve the following (see Report and watch NewTV video):
Eversource petition for Grant of Location for 150 Jackson Road: Eversource Energy received approval to relocate two utility poles to support infrastructure improvements for the new Lincoln Eliot Elementary School. (7-0)
Public Facilities voted to hold the following:
Discussion with Audrey Shulman from HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team, a non-profit) regarding Networked Geothermal Energy: Continued a discussion on networked geothermal systems potential use in Newton, focusing on the benefits and feasibility to be learned from the Framingham Networked Geothermal Project. The Framingham pilot is run by Eversource, includes 140 homes and businesses, starts in June, and will last two years. Newton is planning to pursue geothermal for Countryside and Franklin Elementary schools, taking advantage of new federal tax benefits. The school parking lots would be used for the bore fields (pipes 200 to 700 feet deep in the ground that circulate water for heat exchange – similar to how air source heat pumps operate). (7-0)
Presentation of the Gaspipes.org database to the Public Facilities Committee: Discussion combined with the item below. (7-0)
Discussion regarding reducing gas leaks and transition away from methane gas: Newton Gas Pipes team (volunteer group) presented a map of gas leaks in Newton, including their severity and trees they impacted. The information is available at https://www.gaspipes.org/. NGP requested Newton:
- “Enlist National Grid’s agreement to prioritize the repair of high volume leaks, setting a goal of at least 20 SEI leak repairs each quarter identified by each leak’s ID, its location, and amount of methane emissions.
- Report to the City Council within 60 days of the end of each calendar quarter the following information:
- The SEI (Super Environmental Impact, Grade 3) leaks repaired in the previous quarter
- The cost of each SEI leak repair
- The unrepaired SEI leaks at the beginning of the current quarter
- Agreed priorities between DPW and NG for SEI leak repair in the current quarter”
The City staff said they will ‘lean on’ National Grid to get the larger gas leaks fixed more quickly. (7-0)
