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FREE!21YERegional Solar Installer’s Guide – pp. 20-21SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR VT, NH, NY, ME and BeyondISSUE 70 February - April 2022S!AR SEnergy Independence, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Living and MORE!G.E.T. staffThe 2022BeijingOlympicGames areset to bethe mostenvironmentallygreen todate.To maintain this high level of carbonneutrality, some technical measures arebeing implemented. A “Winter OlympicsCarbon Measurement” platform is beingused. This allows a real time measurementof carbon emissions by all the stadiums.Every one of the 26 Olympic venueswill be completely powered by renewable energy. Construction is minimizedby reusing five venues from the 2008Olympic games. In addition, low-carbontransport is being used. The goal is tokeep the Olympic games carbon-neutral.The expectation is to reduce the overallcarbon output by 950,000 tons.Green Energy Times wishes best of luckto the Olympic Games in reaching its environmental goals and to all the athletesin their competitions!How Much Will theClimate Crisis Cost?George HarveyThere are many ways we could addressthe climate crisis. We could go into denial,despair and do nothing, or get into conflictsover resources. Or we could face the issue ina realistic manner and act on it vigorously.The course we are on now appears to beto acknowledge the problem, say we willaddress it soon, and continue favoring theinterests of corporations.Making sense of the cost of each possibleapproach is not something for the timid.Fortunately, there are research organizations that do that for us. McKinsey, a wellknown global management consultancy,has recently published a report on the subject, “The net-zero transition: What it wouldcost, what it could bring.” Thereport can be downloadedCont’d on p.25Flooding is a huge climate concern. (Michael M. Stoke ,CC-BY-SA 2.0, bit.ly/IDA-PA-flood)A SolArPoweredComPAnyG.E.T. IT!ENERGY T MESGREEN. be e ne rgy inde pe nde n t ! FREE!www.greenenergytimes.org 802.439.6675T H I S I S H O W YO U D O I T !New York is Setting theExample on Tacklingthe Climate EmergencyMike Bailey and George HarveyOn January 5, New YorkGovernor Kathy Hochul gave herfirst State of the State address. Init, she outlined a plan for a “NewEra for New York.” The speechcovered a wide array of topics,including the state’s responseto Covid-19 and a large numberof programs set up to bring thestate back to normal function.Her remarks can be read onlineat https://on.ny.gov/3rtr7HM,and the speech can be watchedat C-SPAN at www.bit.ly/NYState-of-State-2022.She said a lot about energyand climate change, and sheoutlined a large number ofthings she planned for theState of New York to do aboutthem. Her message was put outin a more condensed form inKathy Hochul gives State of State address (Darren McGee, Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, via Flickr)an email, which Green EnergyTimes has put online at www.bit.frontier of offshore wind development.(GW) of offshore wind power by 2030.ly/GET-NYS-email. Here, are things we atEnergy Storage: The state will alsoTransmission will go directly to New YorkGreen Energy Times find most interestingget 6 GW of energy storage by 2030. ThisCity. Building on the success of New York’samong Gov. Hochul’s many proposals:storage capacity will be spread throughaward-winning Offshore Wind Master Plan,Offshore Wind: New York State willout the state. The deployment will bethe New York State Energy Research andput 500 million into infrastructure to“backed by needed market reforms andDevelopment Authority (NYSERDA) will inisupport the effort to install offshore windcost-effective procurementtiate a new master plan to unlock the nextfarms. The goal is to install six gigawattsCont’d on p.22Children’s Programming Needs to Tackle Climate ChangeTara HaelleThe topic is curiously absent from shows for kidsLast February, my kids were thrilled withthe huge snowfall we had. It’s rare to getsnow in northern Texas, let alone enough tobuild snowmen and have snowball fights.But within days, the novelty had worn off, asthe state grappled with the lowest temperatures in nearly a century. Millions had nopower; hundreds died.”Climate change,” my11-year-old promptly replied when I asked ifhe knew what had caused the storm.Whether they are stuck inside because ofarctic temperatures in one of the country’s hottest states, breathing smoke fromrampaging wildfires across the West, orenduring a record-high Pacific Northwestheat wave, kids today are growing up in aworld where the reality of climate changeis inescapable. Most of them know—or willsoon enough—that things are only going toget worse. What they don’t know is how toprocess this reality, or what to do about it.Children’s--oriented media has an importantrole to play in helping them prepare, butthe topic of climate change has been largelyabsent from most children’s shows. Thatneeds to change.Photo: Sam Murphy“We want to create some awarenesswithout overwhelming kids or making themafraid. The message really for kids is, ‘Yes, thisis happening, but through ingenuity andworking together, we can solve problems.’”“It’s going to become more and moreobvious that [climate change] is an issue weneed to be tackling with our programming,”science communication consultant SaraPoirier said. “Where [the industry] is missingthe mark is on making it personally relevantto kids and showing that it’s impactingthings that they’ve actually experienced orcare about.”Thank you to our sponsors:ProudlyBringingG.E.T. toMaineProudly Bringing G.E.T. to NYSMAINETEAMThere are some notable exceptions to thedearth of climate-change-related media forkids: Nature Cat, Wild Kratts, The Octonauts,She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and PawPatrol have all touched on themes that haveto do with climate change. A few podcasts,such as NPR’s Wow in the World and the UK’sFun Kids Science Weekly, explore aspects of itnow and then, as does the occasional movie,like the recent Bigfoot Family, in which kidswork to protect a wildlife reserve from anoil company. (The film raised the ire ofCanadian energy lobbyists, who called it “fullof lies and misinformation.”) For the mostCont’d on p.32IN THIS ISSUEVehicle Idling p. 6Community Solar NH & NY pp.12-13Reduce Healthcare Costs p. 15Clean Energy Income p. 19Geothermal Heating Cost p. 25Enormous Energy Efficiency p. 29Parking Lot Solar p. 26Green and Clean p. 37
GREEN ENERGY TIMES (G.E.T.)1749 Wright’s Mountain Road Bradford, VT 05033t/f: 802.439.6675 info@greenenergytimes.orgG.E.T.’s COMMUNICATIONS TEAM:Publisher/Editor/Production .Nancy Rae MalleryGeneral Factotum . George HarveyCoordinating Director.Michelle HarrisonCopy Editors . Ray Brewster, Susanna LewisG.E.T. writers .Jessie Haas, George Harvey, Brett YatesA huge special thank you to all of our contributing writers:Mike Bailey, Dr. Alan K. Betts, Richard de Grasse, Sam EvansBrown, Bob and Suzannah Ciernia, Efficiency Vermont, DavidFried, Nate Gusakov, Sara Gutterman, Jessie Haas, Tara Haelle,George Harvey, Lauren Hierl, James Kaplan, Russ Lanoie, TobyMartin, Wayne Michaud, Joe Parsons, Janis Petzel, Larry Plesent, Scott Sabol, Peter Sterling, Eric Studer, Ajah Tier, Craigand Todd Walker, Drey Ward, Rob Werner, Barb and GregWhitchurch, Pamela Worth.Green Energy TimesDistribution Team HelpGET Save the PlanetPart Four in Our Feature SeriesAll of us at Green Energy Times are proudof the fact that our volunteers and workersdo their part. Here are three more examplesof their own stories.Mark Koprowski – New Hampshire volunteer distributorAd Design/Layout .NR Mallery, PJ FischerPrinting . Concord Monitor, Concord, NH using 100% recycledpaper and plant-based, environmentally-safe inks.Advertising:. Nancy Rae Mallery, Bradford, VT 802.439.6675nancy@greenenergytimes.org.Michelle Harrison, Londonderry, NH 603.437.0167michelle@greenenergytimes.org.Vicki Moore, Danville, VT : Sally Bellew, Larry Chase, Johnny Hinrichs;Hippo Distribution, Manchester, NH; Daniel Hoviss, GeorgeLawton; our New York team: Dan Antonioli, Joanne Coons, SteveEllsworth, Wyldon Fishman, Bob Freeston, Peter Hudiburg,David Kupras; Joan Rech; J. Fritz, Mark Koprowski, Emily Marsh,Russ Lanoie, Susanna Lewis & Geoff Gardner, Marty Philbrick, Larry Plesant, Don Smallwood, Tim Roper, Eric Stevens,Nancy Tucker, Barb & Greg Whitchurch; Maine team: Cliff Babkirk, Tony Coyne, Toby Martin, Shawn McCarty, Frank Mundo,John Pincince.Hopefully we have not forgotten to mention anyone. It is yourhelp that paves the way to a sustainable future.Please support our advertisers.They make G.E.T. happen!Please recycle or share this copy of Green Energy Times.ABOUT G.E.T.Green Energy Times is produced by 100% solar power, off-gridwith a 3.8 kW PV system. We live and know that Energy Independence is indeed possible – with clean, sustainable renewable energy along with reducing your needs. We walk the talk!Our mission is to create Energy Awareness, Understandingand Independence – Socially Responsible Living.Solar Power works! anywhere under the sun!G.E.T. is published bi-monthly, Feb., Apr.,June, Aug, Oct. & Dec.,by NRM Advertising Company. It is free and available throughout 90% of VT & 80% of NH: the Upper Valley-St J. down to Brattleboro, Windsor-Ludlow, Barre-Montpelier-Burlington, Stowe,Mooretown-Waitsfield, Morrisville, Hardwick, Danville, NEK,Grand Isle, Woodstock-Rutland-Bennington; NH: WoodsvilleHanover-W. Leb.-Plainfield, Enfield-Claremont, Keene-ConcordPlymouth-Laconia, Littleton, & towns in between; NY in theHudson Valley from NYC to L. George, the I-88 corridor; Maine.Full details of where to find GET is available on our website atgreenenergytimes.org/where-to-find-get.G.E.T. is also online at www.greenenergytimes.org.We encourage you to patronize our advertisers. We strive toselectively include trustworthy services & products. G.E.T. cannot be held responsible for advertising claims.Please support our advertisers. Keep it Local!To advertise in G.E.T. contact account executives listed above.By advertising in Green Energy Times or sponsoring us, you notonly help to create energy awareness, understanding and independence for a sustainable future, but also help to support ourefforts to make it all happen! Please call one our advertisingrepresentatives today!Editorial Policy: Green Energy Times works with a variety ofwriters and also publishes community submissions on various topics. We aim to publish content that is independentlyresearched, unbiased and relevant to our audience. Submissionsare subject to our guidelines. Publication is subject to our editorial judgment & schedule.Subscriptions: 30/yr. See form on page 34 or contact us.Green Energy Times would like to thank everyone who hassubmitted articles or helped in any way to make this all a reality. We want to also thank our advertisers & ask that you support them. Say that you saw them in Green Energy Times. Nowlet’s all G.E.T. moving ahead towards a clean, renewable future –one where our children & grandchildren will be able to breathe& grow, live & love on this beautiful planet where we live.Thank you for reading G.E.T. Please send your comments & suggestions to: info@greenenergytimes.orgDisclaimer: G.E.T. allows space to, but does not endorse, contributed content from professionals or vendors.*G.E.T.’s Carbon Footprint Disclosure: Green Energy Times isprinted locally on recycled paper. The printing process uses ecofriendly inks. There are not any totally green printers in the areathat we are aware of, so it would mean trucking them MUCHfarther to have G.E.T. published in a totally green manner, thusincreasing carbon emissions, as a consequence. G.E.T’s distribution emissions are also kept to a minimum, as well. Withthe wonderful help that we g.e.t. within many communities,it keeps our carbon footprint a lower. Hopefully our footprint isoffset because we are 100% solar powered! Because all of ouremployees work from home, our carbon footprint is kept to aminimum. We grow most of our food organically and live as sustainably as possible. We DO walk our talk! Peace!The Kropowski’s 20kWsolar system is enough to powerthe house, geothermal heating and cooling and 35miles of electric driving per day. (Courtesy photo)We have a solar system that is just shyof 20 KW, which is enough to power thehouse, geothermal heating and cooling and35 miles of electric driving per day. We alsohave a Tesla S and Chevy Volt. The Tesla getsan MPGE of 103. The Volt 35 miles of rangebefore gas engine kicks in.We used Green block for the houseconstruction (not just basement but walls aswell) which gives an R-30 with no air infiltration. The house was built with poorly fittedfiberglass batts at an R-30 level in the attic.My wife and I rented a blower from Lowe’sand installed an equivalent of R-65 (totalwith squeezed down fiberglass) of celluloseinsulation on top of the fiberglass. A propaneboiler still heats our water. We will install anair heat pump water heater in the future. Thepropane for this one-use costs us 1.84/day.Last year, we bought a golf course. Thusfar we have spent 4,988 on gas for the cartsand mowers. Our lease on the carts runs outin 2023. We will definitely go electric on thenew lease for the carts and install roof andparking lot solar. Golf course mowers will betough to go electric. Electric models are hardto find. We plan to visit “green” courses andsee what they have done.We use a self-propelled electric grassmower and weed wacker for the house andlove them.Concentration of CO2in the Atmosphere419.33LOCAL CLIMATE NEWS . 3February 8, 2022VT’S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET .3VT LEGISLATURE UPDATE.3Learn more at www.CO2.earth.TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS . 4-7parts per million (ppm)Tim Roper – Distribution volunteer, Chester,Vermont.I’ve been an amateur ecologist for as longas I can remember, but it wasn’t until enteringthe solar energy industry in 2007 that I beganfocusing on gradually lowering my emissionsfootprint. Since that time, we’ve added solar toour own home, installed heat pumps, insulatedour home to exceed government recommended R-values, air-sealed the building envelopeand purchased a plug-in hybrid vehicle. By adding battery backup to our home, we’re also ableto help supply the electric grid during peakdemand events which further reduces the needfor the utility to purchase oil and coal-fired electricity generation during those events.Having played a role in driving solar adoption as a solar company sales director, I wantedto identify and help drive the next movementin reducing society’s systemic emissions. Thatopportunity arose with the advent of highquality electric lawn care equipment comingonto the market, prompting me to start anall-electric, solar powered and organic lawn andgarden care company. My intent is to reducemy customers’ lawn care related emissions andto create awareness of the technology’s advantages, hopefully prompting others to maketheir own switch away from highly pollutinggas- and diesel-powered lawn care equipmentand into cleaner, electrically fueled machines.As a result of these shifts, operating costsfor our vehicles, equipment, home and business have all been cut drastically. The lesson:Gradually making sensible changes to reduceemissions is a big win-win-win!CHARGING ACROSS USA CHALLENGE.4EEN CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT: CYCLEWISE.5VEHICLE IDLING.6NORWICH EV.7SOLAR PV . 8-13RUNTIME SOLAR.8CUSTOM FEED STORE SOLAR. 8WINTER SOLAR INSTALLATION.9GMP BUILDS MICROGRIDS 10COMMUNITY ENERGY SOVEREIGNTY.11SOLAR FARMS IN NH.12MANCHESTER, NH RECYCLABLE CARTS.12SOLAR FARMS IN NY.13RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS . 14-15PATHWAYS TO CLEAN ENERGY - MAINE .14POWER SYSTEMS FLOAT.15REDUCING HEALTHCARE COSTS.15INCENTIVES . 16-17BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL.18-19CLEAN ENERGY SKILLS - NY. 18FILABOT.18GLOBAL PROBLEMS / GLOBAL SOLUTIONS.19INVESTING FOR CLEAN ENERGY INCOME.19FEATURE: SOLAR DIRECTORY.20-21SOLAR DIRECTORY IN THE NE.20CLIMATE NEWS.22-24The Ropers reduce their environmental footprint byusing solar to power their home and heat pumps.One of the two heat pump condenser units is at theright side of the house. (Courtesy photo)Earth Day 2022While every day isEarth Day at GreenEnergy Times,we are alwayshappy to see therenewed focuscome as April22nd approachesevery year. The firstEarth Day happened onthat date in 1970. In April, we see schools,communities, and businesses celebratein their own ways to help protect ourplanet. The original Earth Day was viewedTABLE OF CONTENTSas a teach-in at schools. It quickly grewto more than that (see www.bit.ly/GETEarth-Day-2).Earth Day’s 2022 theme is Invest in OurPlanet . Everyone canmake a difference. VisitMany thanksto our sponsor:https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2022/ tofind information on EarthDay events, activities,and what individuals andorganization can do tomake a difference. Thetime to act is now.INTERNATIONAL BECOMES LOCAL.22HUMANS AND OIL.23FREEING ENERGY BOOK REVIEW.23CLIMATE CHANGE AND LOCAL ACTION.24CLIMATE CHANGE IN RURAL AMERICA.24RENEWABLE HEATING AND COOLING.25-27COST OF GEOTHERMAL HEATING.25ELECTRIC THERMAL STORAGE HEATING.26SOLAR HOT WATER .27BUILDING & ENERGY EFFICIENCY. 28-32NET ZERO EVERYTHING – PART 2. 28ENORMOUSLY EFFICIENT.29VTC CAPSTONE PROJECT.30NH ENERGY-EFFICIENCY POLICY.31ADVANCE CARBON BUILDING CODES.32NY ELECTRIFY HOMES.33SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION.34PROFILE SCHOOL SOLAR.34PARKING LOT SOLAR.34RESOURCES AND ADVERTISER GUIDE.36GREENLIFE/SUSTAINABLE AG. 35, 37-39MAJESTIC TREES.35GREEN SHEETS AND CLEANING.37CASTILE SOAP.38Tell our advertisersyou saw them in‘Green Energy Times’!
Local Climate NewsWWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2022 3Vermont’s Dirty Little Secret:[Op-ed ] Peter SterlingOur State Government is Anti-Renewable EnergyTalk to anyone who hastried to bring renewableenergy to Vermonters andthey will tell you the samething: despite our greenreputation and the thousands of Vermonters whohave asked for leadershipto avoid the existentialcrisis climate change presents to humanity, our stategovernment works everyday to put the brakes onnew solar energy and windpower projects.The latest example isthe draft ComprehensiveEnergy Plan from theVermont Department ofPublic Service which willguide state energy policyfor the next five years.Vermont State House (Flickr/Jim Bowen)Facing massive demandfor new electricity conBy failing to recognize the need forsumption that will be needed as Vermont reduces climate-changing fossilnew, homegrown clean energy sources,fuel use by electrifying its transportaundercounting the clean-energy jobtion and weatherization sectors, theloss, and misrepresenting the significantDepartment’s Plan:challenges facing those trying to buildMakes no mention of using cleanclean energy projects on private land,and reliable Vermont wind power;the Department’s plan is anything butFails to recommend any new in“comprehensive.”state renewable energy use beyondThe Vermont Public Utilities Commission (PUC), charged with permittingthe meager 10% already in state law;renewable energy projects, wrote theWhitewashes Vermont’s loss of renewable energy jobs every year sincemost restrictive statewide sound standard for wind power in the country –2016 when incentives for solar energyeffectively banning new wind projects instarted being reduced;Vermont by, for example, requiring windInaccurately alleges that “Under anyturbines to be roughly 100 times quieterreasonable measure, the existing siting process allows well-sited generathan the FAA’s “strictest” sound level fortion projects to be built in Vermont”F-35 jets.Renewable Energy Vermont members have longdocumented how the currentpermitting process for solarprojects is unpredictable andunnecessarily time consuming and expensive for all butthe smallest size projects.For example, the PUC rejected a solar project in Manchester stating, “The Projectwould have an undue adverseimpact on aesthetics [because] The duration of theview for drivers [passing byit] would be approximately26 seconds” and that “approximately ten residences orbusinesses near or adjacentto the Project site would havevisibility of the Project.”Similarly, the PUC denied asolar project proposed on avacant, treeless lot next to anauto parts supply warehouse, self-storage facility and a gas station. The hearing officer denied the project because hereasoned that it would have an undueadverse effect on the aesthetics of thealready heavily-developed area.While these and other cases representa relatively small number of denials,they have a substantial chilling effecton renewable energy developers andprivate landowners who abandon otherwise promising sites—including sitesin already-developed areas where forestand other wildlife impacts are minimal—because of the uncertainty they create.These project denials and otherharmful PUC standards also harm oureconomy and our ability to fight climatechange. Since 2016, when the PUCstarted decreasing incentives for solarpower, Vermont has lost 1,421 jobs inthe renewable energy field.One could imagine the Governor’soffice taking very direct action if sayover 1,400 Vermonters lost their jobsin the ski industry or at Global Foundries over the last five years with noend in sight.If our state government doesn’tallow solar panels next to warehousesand gas stations because of aesthetics or doesn’t think it’s ok for driversto spend 26 seconds looking at solarpanels as they drive by, it is impossible to see how Vermont will reduceour fossil fuel use enough to do ourpart in stopping climate change.To reduce greenhouse gas pollution, we know the future will requireincreased reliance on cleaner electricity to power our cars and heat ourhomes without burning dirty energysources that are making our planetless safe for humanity. Vermontersneed a state government that trulyleads on the fight to stop climatechange by removing barriers to electricity from clean, safe, reliable, andaffordable in-state renewables likesolar and wind power. But the recordis clear, Vermonters are not gettingwhat we need.Peter Sterling is the Interim ExecutiveDirector of Renewable Energy Vermont(REV), the voice of Vermont’s renewableenergy business community who areworking to eliminate our reliance ondirty fossil fuels by increasing the use ofrenewable energy and building a cleanenergy economy.Vermont’s Legislative Update: February 4, 2022Lauren HierlOn February 4, 2022, budgetdiscussions were underway abouthow to move forward the ClimateAction Plan, where we need toinvest at least 150 million in FY23in programs to help Vermonters andour local communities get access toclean heating options; weatherizetheir homes, businesses and municipal buildings; access clean transportation; and build a clean energyworkforce.Check out the Climate ) with Rep. Laura Sibilia to learnmore about the Municipal Energy Resilience Initiative legislation (H.518).This bill would provide support andfunding for municipalities to transition to cleaner and more efficientenergy solutions.We place continuing priority onthe enactment of the Transportation Innovation Act (H.552). This actdramatically increases investmentsin clean transportation solutions thatwill help Vermonters access moreaffordable and efficient options forgetting around. Discussions are underway on a range of clean transportation policies in the TransportationCommittees.Work continued on the CleanHeat Standardproposal in theHouse Energy& TechnologyCommittee. Awell-craftedClean HeatStandard canhelp people access far cleanerand moreaffordable heating options. Wemust simultaneously investin programsto help Vermonters weatherize theirhomes and switch to clean heatingoptions.Another key priority is enacting astrong Environmental Justice policy.Work on this bill (S.148) continued thisweek in the Senate Natural Resources& Energy Committee. It will take stepsto help ensure that no segment of thepopulation should suffer disproportionate environmental harm or lackaccess to environmental benefits.It is important to note that we mustalso implement strategies to improveour communities’ climate resilience.The Senate Natural Resources andEnergy Committee continued workingon Act 250 legislation (S. 234),which includesseveral provisionsto promote smartgrowth and maintain intact forests.In addition, theHouse NaturalResources, Fishand Wildlife Committee continuedworking on a billthat would generally strengthenthe Act 250 program’s ability to administer the reviewof natural resource impacts by bringingback an independent EnvironmentalReview Board to run Act 250 (H.492).The House Natural Resources, Fishand Wildlife Committee passed out abill (H.697) to promote the enrollmentof old forests in Vermont’s CurrentUse Program. That bill is now in theWays & Means Committee. The NaturalResources Committee also continuedworking on a bill (H.606) focused ondeveloping a plan to promote community resilience and biodiversity protection by conserving 30% of our landsand waters by 2030. We also encourage the House Committee on Gen-eral, Housing, and Military Affairs tocontinue working on the BIPOC LandAccess and Opportunity Act.A clean water bill to create a registry for water withdrawals, and builda permit program to protect waterlevels in Vermont’s surface waters(H.466), passed the House, and nowheads to the Senate.Additionally, the Senate passed(30-0) a bill to hold toxic pollutersaccountable (S.113) for medicalmonitoring costs due to chemicalexposure caused by a corporate polluter and allow the State of Vermontto sue manufacturers of chemicalsthat damage public facilities and natural resources. Read more at https://bit.ly/toxic-contamination. The billnow heads to the House JudiciaryCommittee.Lauren Hierl is the executive directorfor Vermont Conservation Voters.Source links:February 4, 2022: The MunicipalEnergy Resilience Initiatives (https://bit.ly/3B9lVvO)Vermont Senate Gives InitialApproval to Bill to Help Victims ofToxic Contamination (https://bit.ly/3oB6vve).
Transportation Solutions4 February 2022 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675The Birth of the Charging Across America Challenge 2022Eric StuderRob Swartz has a simple mission statement for each of his motorcycle businesses,“Make every client’s next ride their bestone.” He is often referred to as the “motorcycle marriage counselor” since his client’smost frequent compliment is, “You mademe fall in love with my bike all over again.”Swartz was eight when his father’s friendtaught him how to drive a 1925 Model Tand said, “Take some laps kid.” Barely ableto grasp both sides of the steering wheelor reach the pedals, Swartz proceeded todo exactly as instructed, driving countlesscircles around a rural airfield till the Speedster’s tank ran dry.Rob Swartz and the record setting 1924 Ford Model TSpeedster he built before he was old enough to drive.Combining frugality, a multitude of oddjobs and a burning drive to go fast, Swartzowned three cars before getting a driver’slicense. At 15, he built his first and favoriteride from spare and donated parts. It’s nosurprise it was a 1924 Model T Speedsterlike the one he drove when he was eight.Decades later, Swartz still cruises the favorite Ford around his Gardner, Massachusettshometown and races it at Loring TimingAssociation speed competitions and otherevents.Opened in 2004, Rob’s Dyno Service(RDS) has grown to become New England’spremier motorcycle tuning facility for anyinternal combustion, electric or highperformance motorcycle. RDS also offersmaintenance and repair services for anybrand of motorcycle, in addition to components and accessories personally designedby Swartz.Following the success of RDS, he openedMOTUS of New England (MONE) in 2017,selling and servicing MOTUS motorcycles,a premium sporttouring bike produced from 2014 to2018 in Birmingham,Alabama. MONE is thenation’s largest sourceof MOTUS parts andcontinues tuning,repairs and totalrebuild services forthis rare and covetedAmerican-made bike.Convinced thatelectric power willlead the future oftransportation,Swartz opened one ofAmerica’s first Energica electric motorcycledealerships in 2020. Energica of New England (EONE) is the only bike dealer offeringan in-house Dynostar Dyno calibrated fortesting, tuning and performance optimization for any internal combustion or electricmotorcycle brand.Dedication to ensuring client riding enjoyment led Swartz to designing parts andaccessories found nowhere else. Swartz hasconsulting relationships with leading aftermarket and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), i
Times has put online at www.bit. ly/GET-NYS-email. Here, are things we at Green Energy Times find most interesting among Gov. Hochul's many proposals: Offshore Wind: New York State will put 500 million into infrastructure to support the effort to install offshore wind farms. The goal is to install six gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power by .
