"BFD: New Wind Contract Cheaper Than Coal, Nuclear"

[applegrove]

BFD: New Wind Contract Cheaper Than Coal, Nuclear

by the GreenMiles at Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/23/1240846/-BFD-New-Wind-Contract-Cheaper-Than-Coal-Nuclear

"SNIP....................................


The state’s biggest utilities, in a milestone for New England’s wind power industry, have signed long-term contracts to buy wind-generated electricity at prices below the costs of most conventional sources, such as coal and nuclear plants.
The contracts, filed jointly Friday with the Department of Public Utilities, represent the largest renewable energy purchase to be considered by state regulators at one time. If approved, the contracts would eventually save customers between 75 cents and $1 a month, utilities estimated. [...]

The utilities — National Grid, Northeast Utilities, and Unitil Corp. — would buy 565 megawatts of electricity from six wind farms in Maine and New Hampshire, enough to power an estimated 170,000 homes. The projects, in various stages of permitting or development, are expected to begin operations between 2014 and 2016.

John Howat, senior energy analyst at the Boston-based National Consumer Law Center, said he needed to review the details before he could provide a thorough assessment of the contracts. But his initial reaction to the price — on average, less than 8 cents per kilowatt hour? “Wow.”




...................................SNIP"

[JEFF9K]

1. This is bad news for goofy conservatives.

[MADem]

2. I am a wind farm FAN!!!!!!

I think the windmills are works of art....

[quadrature]

3. the price numbers are just made up

7,8,11, cents.
means nothing without contract terms.

for reference, the Texas grid buys,
firm, on-peak, day ahead KWh,
(typical)
4 cents Winter,,,, 8 cents Summer.