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UPSTATE NEW YORK TO GET
GREEN POWER UNDER MERGER Settlement Could Lead to More Wind Energy in the State, Trade Group Says A proposed settlement filed with the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) on October 12 will allow electric customers of Niagara Mohawk to buy electric power from wind, solar, and biomass generators through their electric bills. Renewable energy industries, green marketers, and national environmental groups who intervened in the PSC case involving the merger between Niagara Mohawk and National Grid, applauded the green power marketing and wind energy provisions in the settlement. The merger will create one of the largest distribution utilities in the eastern U.S. “This agreement will give Niagara Mohawk customers a convenient way to buy clean renewable energy," said David Wooley, who served as counsel for the groups. "This is good for the environment and good for the economy since New York has abundant wind, solar, and biomass energy potential. Giving consumers this choice will encourage development of renewable energy resources in New York.” According to Wooley, electric consumers in New York lack a convenient opportunity to purchase renewable energy products. That should change next year when NIMO, the merged distribution company, implements an agreement to allow independent “green power marketers” to sell renewable energy products direct to customer through the NIMO’s billing system. Randall Swisher, Executive Director of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), noted that the agreement will also make it easy for large industrial consumers and state agencies to purchase renewable energy. "Wind energy purchases act as a hedge against volatile natural gas prices, and help to fulfill corporate environmental policies and Governor Pataki’s renewable energy procurement order," said Swisher. “Consumer choice should increase demand for energy from wind, solar and biomass energy systems. We hope the PSC will approve the settlement and that other electric utilities will give their customers the same option." Swisher noted that Governor Pataki has ordered state agencies to purchase 20% of their electric power from renewable energy resources by 2010. Community Energy, Inc., is one company that plans to use the new arrangements to market renewable energy to residential and small commercial customers. Its President, Brent Alderfer, stated: “We hope to begin providing green energy to Niagara Mohawk customers by the middle of 2002.” Alderfer also noted that the agreement calls for NIMO to build a power line to interconnect a large amount of wind energy generation in the Tug Hill region of northern New York (Lewis County). “This transmission line will greatly increase the supply of clean fossil-fuel-free wind energy for customers who choose green energy,” he said. James Tripp of Environmental Defense, a supporter of the agreement, stated: “Electric power generation is one of the largest sources of acid rain, climate change, and respiratory illness. We need more renewable energy to protect public health and the future of our economy and environment. We know that consumer demand for renewables is strong, but until now there has been no way to express the preference for green power. We hope this will result in large numbers of customers choosing green power, and that this will increase investment and jobs in New York’s renewable energy industries.” Ashok Gupta of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the parties to the settlement, stated: “The agreement will encourage greater use of energy efficiency services and renewable energy alternatives though consumer education, consumer choice and cooperative efforts to identify barriers to clean energy options in the NIMO service territory. There is more work to be done, but this is an important step forward.” Other environmental provisions in the settlement include a clause to protect 3,600 acres of a critical recreational river corridor along the Moose River in the Adirondacks. MORE: See Wind
Power New York ### AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy |
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©
2001 by the American Wind Energy Association. |
