March 4, 2011
Massachusetts

Cape Wind deal with National Grid draws fire

By Patrick Cassidy, Cape Cod Times, www.capecodonline.com 4 March 2011

The primary opponents of the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm want a deal to sell power from the project re-examined.

The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound filed a motion Tuesday with the state Department of Public Utilities to have the agency re-open its review of the agreement after a recent announcement that NStar was able to secure lower priced power from land-based renewable energy projects, according to an Alliance press release.

NStar is paying less than 10 cents per kilowatt hour for its power from three New England wind farms compared to the 18.7 cents per kilowatt hour National Grid agreed to pay for half of Cape Wind’s power, according to the statement.

Cape Wind spokesman Mark Rodgers called the move another attempt by the “fossil-fuel funded opposition group” to obstruct the clean energy project. “The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities conducted an exhaustive review and found that Cape Wind is cost-effective and necessary to meet the commonwealth’s requirements,” he said. “Nothing in the latest filings changes that.”

The Alliance and other Cape Wind foes have already challenged the DPU’s approval of the project to the state Supreme Judicial Court. Cape Wind must still find a buyer for the second half of its power.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/04/cape-wind-deal-with-national-grid-draws-fire/