Dan McKay's Blog (843)

Start with commodity allocation dependent on customer choice on price. The Electric Restructuring Act of 2000 was enacted to place electric generation in a competitive market giving customers choice on price. At that time, electric generation resources selected to meet demand were based on timely costs to provide the lowest price possible to retail sellers, and, subsequently, to customers

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Obviously, policy makers considered the word "Restructuring " meant the market was subject to…

John Madigan, Representative for District 115 - Roxbury, Rumford, Sumner and Woodstock, plus the unorganized territory of Milton Township wants to cover the Western Maine Mountains with wind turbines.

Siding with fellow democrats, while throwing his constituents under the bus, Madigan voted against bring LD 1810 to public hearing . "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Expedited Permitting for Wind Energy Development"

He is the only Rep. from Western Maine to vote this…

We know now that Senator A. King is aware of the detrimental natural gas situation in New England. The question is does he consider it a victory derived from his policy input during his State Governing days in addition to his private profiteering days of wind development in Maine ?

" Maine Senator Angus King discussed with van Welie( ISO-NE CEO ) the impact of constraints on the natural gas pipelines coming into New England. And van Welie noted the issues surrounding the…

https://mpuc-cms.maine.gov/CQM.Public.WebUI/Common/CaseMaster.aspx?CaseNumber=2010-00235

January 17, 2018

"ISO New England today released its Operational Fuel-Security Analysis, a study assessing whether possible future resource combinations would have enough fuel to ensure bulk power system reliability throughout an entire winter. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT MAINTAINING RELIABILITY IS LIKELY TO BECOME MORE CHALLENGING, ESPECIALLY IF CURRENT POWER SYSTEM TRENDS CONTINUE.""

Most likely an Emergency, but Maine lawmakers feel a dribble of subsidized solar energy and…

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/iso-study-warns-precarious-energy-future/

The politics that created The Wind Act continues to live on in the EUT Committee

http://www.mainefirstmedia.com/maine-energy-committee-chairs-shocking-power-trip/

An Act To Amend the Laws Regarding Distributed Energy Generation and To Eliminate Gross Metering
(EMERGENCY)

Thursday, January 11, 2018 1:00 PM,Cross Building, Room 211

This bill opens the 2018 version of the Augusta Feed-In Trough .

If you are a ratepayer who thinks you shouldn't have to pay for a University Research Project with a jacked-up electricity bill, your public  comments can be made part of this PUC case:
https://mpuc-cms.maine.gov/CQM.Public.WebUI/Comments/CaseNumberSearch.aspx

case number 2010-00235

From The ISO-NE Newswire January 8, 2018 :

"Over the past decade, the New England states have sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet climate goals through various mechanisms outside of the ISOadministered competitive wholesale markets. These mechanisms include mandates that state-regulated utilities enter into long-term contracts with renewable resource developers.4 These out-of-market actions could have adverse consequences for FCM. Specifically, resources that…

.This bill comes up every session and has been carried over by the house and senate from last session

LD 532, HP 376,

128th Legislature

An Act To Remove the 100-megawatt Limit on Hydroelectric Generators under the Renewable Resources Laws

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?ld=532&PID=1456&snum=128

This is ISO-NE…

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 …