| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Connecticut proposes redefining renewables
Credit: March 15, 2013 | www.hartfordbusiness.com ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
The Connecticut General Assembly on Tuesday will consider including hydropower from Canada and sustainable biomass in the definition of renewable power.
The Energy & Technology Committee will hold a hearing at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the proposal that could shift the funding availability for renewable technologies such as solar, wind, and fuel cells.
The state’s definition of renewable power is split into three classes. Class I is the most exclusive – with solar, wind, fuel cells, and tideal power – and those technologies receive around $55 in renewable credits for every megawatt. Class III includes biomass and trash-to-energy and are paid $10 per megawatt. Connecticut’s goal is to have 20 percent of its electricity come from renewables by 2020.
Hydro currently is only allowed as a Class I if it comes from river flow and generates less than five megawatts. The new proposal opens up Class I to large-scale hydro, which is in abundance in Canada.
Since large-scale hydro is cheaper than the average price of electricity in New England, the state could meet its renewable electricity goals while not relying on the more expensive power from technologies such as solar and fuel cells. The shift would pull money away from those technologies, as the state’s renewable portfolio standard originally was created as a funding source to make renwables cost-competitive with grid power.
Under the proposals, Connecticut can use large-scale hydro to meet 20 percent of its renewable goals.
The proposal also includes biomass facilities in Class I, provided they use a sustainable fuel and emit little particulates.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=34708 ]
