LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Renewable groups pressure governor on wind price caps 

Credit:  By Colin A. Young | State House News Service | Jul 28, 2019 | www.southcoasttoday.com ~~

BOSTON —While the offshore wind industry waits for Gov. Charlie Baker to act on the budget sent to him last week, an industry group is urging his administration to telegraph how it will handle the proposed temporary suspension of a price cap on wind projects.

RENEW Northeast, a non-profit committed to uniting the renewable energy industry and environmental advocates, said the Department of Public Utilities should explain how it will address that part of the budget as soon as possible, given the “tight upcoming deadline for bid submissions” for a second 800 megawatts of offshore wind power.

“The language adopted by the General Court provides significant uncertainty for developers on how the price cap issue will be resolved and creates additional ambiguity about the interaction between the price cap and mitigation proposals that developers might submit,” the group said in a statement. “Clarity and certainty are essential ingredients in creating a stable and encouraging climate for offshore wind development.”

The price cap, put in place by the 2016 energy law, restricts the price of power from new procurements to no higher than the price of the previous contract. The budget language before Baker would allow his administration to lift that cap for a year.

Secretary for Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides told Sen. Marc Pacheco at a committee hearing last week that the administration is reviewing that provision of the budget with the goal of making sure the timeline for the next procurement is not disrupted.

“Our goal here is to make sure we stay on timeline, that the language is clear enough that it is able to be interpreted and keep to that timeline to make sure this second RFP can take advantage of the 12 percent [investment tax credit]. I think we will take a careful look at the language and make sure we are balancing those needs,” she said.

Massachusetts has already entered into a contract for 800 megawatts of offshore wind power – through the Vineyard Wind project, which could face delays if a key federal certificate is not issued by the end of August – and has set deadlines on Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 for developers to submit their bids for a second 800 megawatt procurement.

Before the Senate voted on the budget Monday, Sen. Marc Pacheco aired his concerns with the price cap suspension, though he said he shares some of the worries that, if the price cap remains in place as written in 2016, developers could be cool to participate in the second Massachusetts procurement. Pacheco urged Baker to return the budget language with an amendment.

“The language that is being proposed is going way above what we should be doing. Way beyond what we should be doing,” Pacheco said. He added, “the language before us right now, will absolutely guarantee a significant rate increase. I know some will say you can’t say that, you don’t know that is happening. Well, I’m willing to say that is happening.”

Source:  By Colin A. Young | State House News Service | Jul 28, 2019 | www.southcoasttoday.com

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
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon