PSC to vote on Delmarva's wind proposal
Delmarva Power’s land-based wind farm contracts are scheduled to get a vote at the Public Service Commission today, and the commission staff has recommended approving a 20-year deal between Delmarva and Synergics for a maximum of 100 megawatts of power from a farm in western Maryland.
The commission staff also said the PSC should approve a 15-year deal with AES for a maximum of 70 megawatts of wind power from a project in north-central Pennsylvania.
The contracts would help Delmarva fulfill its renewable energy purchase requirements under state law. The contracts were controversial several months ago when they were seen as a way for Delmarva to avoid signing a contract to buy power from the Bluewater Wind offshore project.
A consultant hired by the PSC, Barry Sheingold of New Energy Opportunities Inc., expressed concern about the way Delmarva conducted the bidding, saying Delmarva worked outside mechanisms set up by the PSC.
He said Delmarva created the impression the request for proposals for land-based wind power was “a mechanism it was employing to oppose the Bluewater project.”
Nevertheless, he wrote the winning bids were reasonable and should be approved with minor modifications.
Land-based wind power is considered cheaper than power from offshore turbines, although observers said offshore wind power is more reliable and can be built closer to coastal population centers. PSC executive director Bruce Burcat said the PSC is comfortable with the land-based wind contracts, saying the price is reasonable.
University of Delaware Associate Professor Jeremy Firestone filed critical comments about the contracts, saying the state would have gotten more reliability and environmental benefits had Bluewater been given the right to sell more power to Delmarva.
The PSC meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Dover. A public hearing is scheduled before the vote.
By Aaron Nathans
7 October 2008
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