Category Archives: wind

CPES Policy Committee Update: November 13

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update: 

  • DEEP intends to solicit offshore wind, fuel cells and anaerobic digestors
  • Gov. Malloy Signs Millstone Bill and Encourages Dominion’s Participation

CONNECTICUT

CT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
On November 8, 2017 the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) issued a Notice of Proceeding indicating DEEP intends to issue a draft Request for Proposals by December 15, 2017 pursuant to Section 8 of Public Act 13-303, as amended by Public Act 17-144. Under the RFP, DEEP intends to solicit offshore wind, fuel cells and anaerobic digestors. The Notice is available here.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Gov. Malloy Signs Millstone Bill and Encourages Dominion’s Participation. View the Governor’s Press Release, Letter from the Commissioner’s of DEEP and PURA and the Preliminary Progress Report from LAI.

CPES Policy Committee Update: January 3, 2017

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

This week’s features:

  • Turbines are Spinning at the Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm
  • PURA Development of Voluntary Renewable Options Program
  • PURA Review of Electric Companies’ and Electric Distribution Companies’ Plans for Maintenance of Transmission and Distribution Overhead and Underground Lines
  • The Legislature in Connecticut  will convene on January 4, 2017

Regional & Industry Developments

Turbines Are Spinning at the Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm

On December 12, 2016, Deepwater Wind announced that its Block Island Wind Farm had begun delivering electricity to the grid—a historic occasion for both the region and the US. The facility, located 16 miles off the coast of Rhode Island near Block Island, represents the first offshore wind farm in the nation and is paving the way for similar projects to harness New England’s significant offshore wind energy potential. As of December 1, three offshore wind projects representing 2,054 megawatts (MW) were requesting interconnection to the regional power system administered by ISO New England.

For more information on the ISO’s efforts to help integrate more offshore and onshore wind energy in New England, see the ISO Newswire.

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority New Dockets:

On December 20, 2016, PURA established the following docket on its own motion:
Docket No. 16-12-29:  PURA Development of Voluntary Renewable Options Program

On December 27, 2016, The Connecticut Light and Power Company d/b/a Eversource Energy filed its Electric Utility Line Maintenance Plan for 2017, after which PURA established the following docket:
Docket No. 16-12-37:  PURA Review of Electric Companies’ and Electric Distribution Companies’ Plans for Maintenance of Transmission and Distribution Overhead and Underground Lines

Connecticut Legislation:

The 2016 Connecticut regular session ended on May 4, 2016.  The 2017 Connecticut regular session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/

CPES Policy Committee Update: September 19, 2016

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Paul Brady, CPES Executive Director, via email: pbrady@ctpower.org.

This week’s features:

  • PURA re-opens the Residential Billing Docket and Eversource seeks to reopen docket on interconnection guidelines.
  • ISO-NE Completes Study on Wind Resources
  • Looking Ahead to the Next Legislative Session – Schedules and Key Links

 

CONNECTICUT REGULATORY

PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY NEW DOCKETS:

On September 14, 2016, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority initiated the following proceeding, which may be of interest to you:

  • Docket No. 14-07-19RE02:  PURA Investigation into Redesign of the Residential Electric Billing Format – Incidental Residential Accounts and Summary Information

Also, on September 8, 2016, Eversource filed a motion to reopen Docket No. 03-01-15 DPUC Investigation into the Need For Interconnection Standards for Distributed Generation, seeking  PURA approval of new interconnection guidelines for small (sub 20kW) generation systems. Eversource’s motion and the proposed interconnection standards are available here.

 

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

ISO New England Completes Studies on the Economic Impacts of Adding More Wind Resources to the Grid

ISO New England recently completed three studies requested by regional stakeholders in 2015. The studies focus on the economic impacts of adding more wind resources to the regional power system under a variety of hypothetical scenarios. The studies looked at:

  • The potential economic effects of developing offshore wind
  • Upgrading transmission at three interfaces in Maine to remove potential bottlenecks and enable the development of more onshore wind and imports from New Brunswick, Canada
  • Easing a transmission bottleneck farther north in the Keene Road area of Maine to enable increasing wind development in the local area

The final results of the studies are available on the ISO’s Planning Advisory Committee webpage.  For more information, visit the ISO Newswire.

 

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATION:

The 2016 Connecticut regular session ended on May 4, 2016.  The 2017 Connecticut regular session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/.

 

MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATION:

The 2015-2016 Massachusetts formal session ended on July 31, 2016.  The 2017-2018 Massachusetts session begins January 4, 2017.

Information about the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, including hearings and bills in committee, is available at: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Joint/J37.

CPES Policy Committee Update: August 23, 2016

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Paul Brady, CPES Executive Director, via email: pbrady@ctpower.org.

This week’s features:

  • MA Supreme Court Strikes Down DPU Order on Authority
  • Op-Ed Block Island Wind Farms

 

Regional & Industry Developments

MA Supreme Court Pushes Back on DPU Authority

On August 17, 2016, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck down an order issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities last October which found that the Department has pre-existing authority to review and approve contracts for natural gas pipeline capacity filed by electric distribution companies.  The Court ruled that the Department erred in interpreting Massachusetts law as authorizing it to review and approve ratepayer-backed, long-term contracts by electric distribution companies for natural gas capacity. The Court concluded that the order is invalid “because, among other things, it would undermine the main objectives of the [Restructuring Act of 1997] and re-expose ratepayers to the types of financial risks from which the Legislature sought to protect them.”

The Court’s decision is available at: http://www.mass.gov/courts/docs/sjc/reporter-of-decisions/new-opinions/12051.pdf

 

(CT/RI) Op-Ed: Block Island Wind Farm: Windfall for the politically connected

Under the deal engineered by Carcieri, Rhode Island’s regulated utility, National Grid, will be required to pay 24.4 cents per kilowatt hour for the windmill power — more than twice current market rates.

Sweetening the deal even more, there are price escalators of 3.5 percent a year, so that by the end of the 20-year contract period, National Grid will be paying 50 cents per kilowatt hour from the wind farm.

http://www.theday.com/local-columns/20160820/block-island-wind-farm-windfall-for-politically-connected

 

 

CPES ADDS PROFESSIONAL ENERGY FINANCIAL INSIGHT TO THEIR BOARD

Carolyn Morrison, Webster Bank, Joins as CPES Board Member

Carolyn Morrison, Webster Bank, Waterbury, CTHartford, CT (July 1, 2016) – Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) welcomed new Board Member Carolyn Morrison (Webster Bank, Waterbury, Connecticut) during their June meeting held at the Courtyard Marriott, Cromwell, Connecticut.

“Not only are we excited to have Carolyn’s interest and enthusiasm on our Board, we are thrilled that she will be able to provide insight on the financing challenges and opportunities for energy projects,” said Joey Lee Miranda, CPES President and Partner at Robinson + Cole.

Carolyn has worked in commercial banking in Connecticut for twenty years. The last five years have been focused on the energy sector, including project finance for:

  • Utility scale solar and wind (Vermont, Connecticut and Maine)
  • Distributed generation – solar, fuel cells, CHP (CT and New York)
  • Residential solar lease portfolio (Connecticut)

She is a graduate (BA and MBA) of University of Connecticut.