Progress Energy said today it is accepting proposals for electricity generated from wind farms in order to meet its state mandate for renewable energy.
The Raleigh-based electric utility said the minimum size of proposals it will consider is 5 megawatts, an industrial scale that represents a big boost to wind farm advocates in this state.
No wind farm of that size currently exists in North Carolina, but several much larger projects have been proposed, including an offshore wind farm that was approved by N.C. regulators earlier this year.
Progress said it will give preference to wind farms in North Carolina but will also consider out-of-state proposals as long as the electricity can be delivered to the company's transmission grid.
Under North Carolina's renewable energy portfolio standard, utilities in this state don't have to buy electricity to meet the state's green energy mandate. Instead, they can meet part of their targets by paying subsidies to green energy projects.
The subsidies are called "renewable energy certificates."
Several dozen out-of-state wind farms have applied to accept the certificates from North Carolina utilities without selling electricity here.
The deadline to submit proposals to Progress is July 25.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), hydralic fracturing (or "fracking"), public utilities (both electric and natural gas) and health care. His beat includes Progress Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Biogen Idec and others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or
Comments
WINDFARMS - PROGRESS ENERGY
Mon, 07/04/2011 - 10:36 — NANASIXI have to question how much money, and/or tax breaks Progress Energy will get for buying energy from windfarms? This is all about $$$ and we the citizens won't benefit one dime.
Instead of it benefiting us, it will only cause our rates to go even further up.
If Progress energy is getting big tax breaks from either or, or both the State and Fed Govt. why don't they disclose to we the citizens how much of this will be credited to the customers? I can tell you why. It won't benefit us at all, it will only cost us more each month for our electric bills that we can hardly handle (pay) now.
Then we've got the additional loss to these monsters regardless of where they're placed, i.e., reducing the values of our homes, damaging our roadways and bridges in transporting their humongous equipment to a port to be shipped out to sea. I question, is our state smart enough to make them post bonds to cover any and all damages? Why do I doubt this will happen? Go Google "Damages by Wind Turbines to Roadways", etc. Google the health issues, reduction in property values, etc. etc.
There is no advantage to this industry, except to the developers who receive the millions of dollars in tax breaks, that comesdirectly from our pockets. They don't mind wasting our tax dollars on an absolutely non beneficial industry, just like they don't mind cutting our educational funds that are meant for our children. It's just like they don't mind our state and federal govt paying out billions each year for schooling, feeding and housing illegals in our state and country. Add these losses, and tell me they're beneficial to any citizens. Our Government is treating the Wind Turbine Industry, and those buying energy they don't need, just as they did the Unions, Banks, etc.
Open your eyes, look around you. Think about what our government both state and federal is doing to us from every direction, and then make up your own mind.