PIONEERING WIND IN NEW ENGLAND

What happens when public policy does not support wind energy development? It does not get built. Some in Rhode Island want political leaders to require dominant utility National Grid to buy New Energies like wind. The lawmakers have left it to National Grid who says things are just too uncertain right now. Maybe someday.

Legislators also rejected Governor Carcieri's request to push the public entity Rhode Island Power Authority to buy New Energy. Opponents said the state cannot become a “power dealer.” Result? Rhode Island has lots of greenhouse gas emissions and an energy supply problem.

But here’s good news: Rhode Island allows net metering. Anybody who puts in a small turbine can get paid for all the excess energy it generates.

Wind power can’t get off ground
Ray Henry, December 15, 2007 (AP via St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

WHO
Rhode Island (RI) Gov. Don Carcieri; top energy adviser Andrew Dzykewicz

Rhode Island's offshore wind resources are substantial. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
Major challenges face Governor Carcieri in meeting the goal he set for his state of getting 15% of RI’s electricity from wind energy.

WHEN
Carcieri’s goal, announced in 2006, is to get to 15% by 2011. Discussing the difficulties, Dzykewicz remains hopeful the goal can be met by 2012.

WHERE
- RI presently has 1 turbine generating wind energy.
- Carcieri proposes building 100 offshore wind turbines in Narragansett Bay.

WHY
- New England needs electricity sources, especially New Energy sources.
- A new supply of energy for RI could stabilize costs as well as boost supply.
- RI’s 1 turbine represents a 1 megawatt output for the state while Texas is at nearly 4000 megawatts.
- RI may face objections like those from Massachusetts residents who have stopped the 130 turbine installation proposed for Cape Cod for 6 years.
- New York-based Allco Renewable energy group and Bluewater Wind have proposed RI projects but the details have not been navigated.

This 1.8 kilowatt turbine, recently installed at Kennebunkport by President G.H.W. Bush (41), could earn a Rhode Island homeowner money through the state's net metering program.

QUOTES
- Jim Wavle, managing director, Allco Renewable: "It can happen, without a doubt, but it's up to the state and the stakeholders to either embrace this or not…"
- Erich Stephens, Bluewater Wind: “The problem in New England, in part, is that there's been no utility that's willing to step up to the plate…"