Dan McKay's Blog – December 2017 Archive (9)

Two Illinois nuclear plants were in jeopardy of closing because even at a low cost of five cents or so per kWh, they were losing a combined $100 million per year because they could not compete with cheap natural gas and wind energy that is subsidized at 2.3¢/kWh. Illinois taxpayers subsidize solar energy at 21¢/kWh. This bill provides these nuclear plants with just 1¢/kWh, and only until market conditions change.

New York’s new Clean Energy Standard includes the…

Remember when the 100 megawatt cap on hydro law was challenged every year in the Maine Legislature ?

Remember how the wind and solar zombie representatives said it would wash out all the opportunities for wind and solar, so they refused to remove the cap ?

Well, the people in charge of reliability of New England Electrical Generation have something to say:

Winter Alert - ISO-NE- 2017-2018

NATURAL-GAS-FIRED GENERATION AT RISK OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GET FUEL WHEN…

The safety setbacks from property lines have been increased from the existing standard of 1 ½ times the distance to the tip of the fully extended blade, to 1 ½ times the hub height plus rotor diameter.

The applicant must provide evidence of the project’s effect on electrical rates directly attributable to the project. The impact of any single generation source on electrical rates in Maine is a complex undertaking that requires sophisticated modeling and assumptions about future operation of the electrical grid, future energy mix and prices in the region, and a myriad of other factors. Importantly, in enacting the Wind Energy Act the Legislature made specific findings on the positive effect…

The applicant is required to provide evidence of a power purchase agreement or other evidence demonstrating the intended sale of the project’s output to a third party. The DEP has not previously required evidence of a power purchase agreement and does not generally evaluate the economics of projects it reviews or require a showing that the output (whether an energy project or non-energy development) will be sold to a third party.

"The new provisions on decommissioning do not allow consideration of salvage value when estimating costs and establishing the required decommissioning fund. The decommissioning fund must be fully funded and in place prior to commencement of construction and must be re-evaluated every two years during the life of the project. This change would substantially increase the costs associated with the required decommissioning fund."

https://stopthesethings.com/2017/12/09/australian-court-finds-wind-turbine-noise-exposure-a-pathway-to-disease-waubra-foundation-vindicated/

For Immediate Release:  Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Contact:  Steve McGrath, Director  (207) 441-0359  

Public Meetings Rescheduled on State Energy Plan 

Augusta, Maine –  The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) is asking Mainers for their input as they develop an Energy Planning Roadmap that advances the state of Maine’s energy, economic development, and environmental goals. 

The roadmap, which uses the 2015 state comprehensive energy plan update as a starting point …

NextEra wants LUPC to expand the expedited siting area so they may install approximately 500 megawatts of wind power to be deliverable to the ISO-NE grid. They have a bid proposal in response to the Massachusetts renewable energy RFP.

MAINE LAND USE PLANNING COMMISSION

Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

22 State House Station - Augusta, Maine 04333-0022

TEL (207) 287-2631 FAX (207) 287-7439

AGENDA

Meeting Date:

December 13,…