Energy Law Update

ISO New England Publishes 2011 Financial Report

2012-05-25T15:24:56Z

ISO New England has published its 2011 Financial Report. The Report includes a discussion of last year’s operations, including financial impacts, and projects and initiatives for 2012. The report also includes ISO New England’s audited financial statements.

With respect ISO New England’s 2011 projects and capital spending, ISO New England reports that actual spending was under budget by approximately $1.8 million. ISO New England’s FERC‐approved capital expenditure budget for 2011 was $26.5 million, but actual spending was under budget by $1,829,000. The reduced spend was primarily a result of delays in the design and approval for the Forward Capacity Market reform and price‐responsive demand projects. ISO New England describes its major projects in 2011, some of which are ongoing and multiyear, as follows:

Massachusetts Publishes Guide to Solar Development in Landfills

2012-05-03T19:52:56Z

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has released The Guide to Developing Solar Photovoltaics at Massachusetts Landfills (link will open a PDF of the guide). This 40-page guide is in response to the growing numbers of larger scale solar projects being proposed and developed on public and private closed landfills. According to MADOER, the guide covers: physical requirements of PV systems; PV system economics; landfill considerations; public procurement; and PV system development, design, and installation.

Maine Governor Nominates New PUC Commissioner

2012-05-03T14:19:00Z

Maine Governor Paul LePage today posted the name of Mark Vannoy of Waldoboro, Maine, to fill the unexpired term of Vendean Vafiades on the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Mr. Vannoy is an engineer with Wright-Pierce in Topsham, Maine, who concentrates his practice in infrastructure, including sewer systems and dams. He is a former naval engineer, and he also serves on the Town of Waldoboro Energy Committee.

Mr. Vannoy’s nomination will be reviewed by the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee in the near future, and then sent to the full Senate for final confirmation.

Click the above links for more information on the nominee, including his responses to questionnaires and his résumé.

Energy News Roundup: April 21-April 27

2012-04-27T16:47:00Z

This week in regional energy news …

FERC has approved revisions to the tariffs of ISO New England and the New York ISO to improve the scheduling of wholesale transactions between the two regions. Coordinated Transaction Scheduling is expected to result in cost savings for consumers.
With Ocean Renewable Power Company’s four-megawatt tidal generator going online later this year, the Maine Public Utilities Commission recently set the rates for electricity produced from tidal energy. The MPUC also directed Maine’s transmission and distribution utilities to enter into long-term contracts with ORPC to buy the energy, which is expected to be an economic boost to Washington County, Maine.
With tax credit sunset dates looming and natural gas prices falling, investment in hydro projects face more challenging efforts to find financing.
A former radar station for the U.S. Air Force in Moscow, Maine, will become an energy park after having been purchased by three New England companies.

Maine Launches Green Power Program

2012-04-24T21:01:49Z

The Maine Public Utilities Commission and 3Degrees, a leading renewable energy provider, announced the launch of Maine Green Power, a new, statewide, green power program. Maine Green Power provides residential and commercial customers the opportunity to support Maine-produced renewable energy by ensuring that electricity consumed in their homes and businesses is matched by electricity generated through renewable resources located in Maine. This program effectively allows Maine consumers to purchase locally produced, renewable energy.

MPUC Chairman Welch explained that “Maine has abundant hydro, wind, biomass and other renewable energy resources” and that “Maine Green Power will enable our state’s residents and businesses to encourage further local development of these resources by choosing to power their homes and businesses with renewable energy generated in Maine.”

According to the MPUC, Maine Green Power participants will be able to ensure that the electricity they use at their homes or businesses is matched, in whole or in part, by electricity generated through Maine renewable resources. Qualifying renewable resources include solar, hydro, wind, biomass, tidal, geothermal and fuels cells that utilize landfill gas or agricultural biogas. Maine Green Power will be available to Central Maine Power, Bangor Hydro Electric Company and Maine Public Service Company customers.

Energy News Roundup: April 14-April 20

2012-04-20T16:37:00Z

This week in regional energy news …

The Maine Office of the Public Advocate is joining the New England Power Pool, the advisory body of ISO New England, in order to have greater involvement in the decisions of ISO-NE.
Low natural gas prices nationwide are affecting market clearing prices for electricity, as well as electric generation development projects.
EcoGas, a subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems, is seeking the Maine PUC’s approval to build a natural gas pipeline to serve the University of Maine, in Orono.
The Province of New Brunswick is delaying a decision on the fate of hydraulic fracturing and recently granted a new hydrofracking lease, while studies are released tying the shale gas extraction technique to earthquakes.

Energy News Roundup: April 7-April 13

2012-04-13T15:00:00Z

This week in regional energy news …

Massachusetts’ governor’s office announced on Thursday the 2012 Solarize Mass Program. Solarize Mass will help residents and business owners in 17 selected communities (including Boston) install small-scale solar photovoltaic technology and will provide savings that increase as more people “go solar.”
Ocean Renewable Power Co.’s tidal energy project is under construction and will be generating power by mid-summer. The Portland company’s design will be the first grid-connected tidal energy project in the U.S.
With a growing surplus of natural gas, prices across the country continue to drop.
Downeast LNG, which has proposed an LNG terminal on the U.S. side of Passamaquoddy Bay, forges ahead with that plan despite FERC’s dismissal of a similar project proposed by Calais LNG.

Maine BEP Denies Appeal of Oakfield Wind Power Project

2012-04-12T13:12:48Z

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection voted unanimously yesterday to deny an appeal of First Wind’s 50-turbine Oakfield Wind Power project, affirming that the project complies with all relevant Maine DEP regulatory standards. The appellants’ primary argument was that the project would have an unreasonably adverse visual impact on a golf course, a yoga center, and two lakes in the vicinity of the project. The Board rejected that claim, as well as the appellants’ other claims related to wildlife, wetlands and financial capacity. This was the sixth consecutive appeal of a wind power project that the Board has denied. First Wind was represented by Verrill Dana attorneys Juliet Browne and Gordon Smith.

Mars Hill Wind – Five Years in Operation

2012-04-09T12:55:25Z

First Wind’s Mars Hill Wind Farm celebrated its 5th birthday on March 27. The turbines at Mars Hill have produced more than 627,000 megawatt-hours of energy since they began operating in 2007. They generate enough power to supply an average of 20,000 Maine homes per year.

Energy News Roundup: March 31-April 6

2012-04-06T16:46:00Z

This week in regional energy news …

The $4.7 million Northeast Utilities-NStar merger is moving forward following the approval of Massachusetts regulators yesterday. The utilities hope to close the deal this month.
A natural gas pipeline that may be extended from Windsor, Maine, to Rockland got a boost this week from an agreement between the state and natural gas supplier Self-Gen to supply gas to a prison in Warren.
FERC has rejected Calais LNG’s application to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Washington County due to repeated delays in obtaining financing for the development, among other things. Project developers are holding out hope for the proposed terminal.
Modern heat pumps, which heat homes at the equivalent of approximately $1.50 per gallon of oil, are seen by the LePage Administration as a key to energy savings in Maine.
The legislatures of both Massachusetts and New Hampshire are looking at ways to expand those states’ renewable energy portfolios.