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Environmental Business Council: RI Wind Energy Planning Dennis J. Duffy VP-Regulatory Affairs

Environmental Business Council: RI Wind Energy Planning Dennis J. Duffy VP-Regulatory Affairs May 25, 2006. Wind Energy Map of Southern New England. Wind Park Proposal. 130 WTGs (3.6MW) Electric Service Platform Two 115 kv circuits to shore – two cables each 468 MW Generating Capacity

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Environmental Business Council: RI Wind Energy Planning Dennis J. Duffy VP-Regulatory Affairs

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  1. Environmental Business Council: RI Wind Energy Planning Dennis J. Duffy VP-Regulatory Affairs May 25, 2006

  2. Wind Energy Map of Southern New England

  3. Wind Park Proposal • 130 WTGs (3.6MW) • Electric Service Platform • Two 115 kv circuits to shore – two cables each • 468 MW Generating Capacity • On Average, 75% entire electrical requirements of the Cape & Islands.

  4. State Permitting Process • Petition for transmission facilities approval filed with Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (“EFSB”) on September 17, 2002. • Filing made jointly with NSTAR. • Twenty-one days of hearings, Fifty Thousand page evidentiary record. • EFSB Approved petition on May 11, 2005.

  5. Federal Permitting Status • NEPA process, lead by MMS, with 17 participating agencies. • Favorable Draft Environmental Impact Statement issued in November 2004. • Over 4,000 pages in DEIS, considered 17 alternative Sites.

  6. Favorable Comments on DEIS • “CLF commends the Corps and the project proponents for providing a fairly exhaustive, comprehensive and accurate picture of the range of potential environmental impacts from the project and reasonable alternatives from the project.” • NRDC: “[Cape Wind] is, to our knowledge, the largest single source of supply-side reductions in CO2 currently proposed in the United States and perhaps the world.”

  7. Favorable Comments on DEIS- continued • USDOE Asst. Secretary Garmon: “As the first shallow water offshore project under review in the United States, utility-scale projects like Cape Wind are important to our national interest and a crucial first step to building a domestic, globally competitive wind industry.” • Former USDOE Asst. Secretary and Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Officers Susan Tierney: “[The Cape Wind DEIS] is thorough. It is detailed. It identifies, analyzes and describes a wide array of impacts with great care, detail and comprehensiveness. Indeed, it is one of the most thorough that I have ever seen.”

  8. Rhode Island’s RPS Statute(R.I.G.L. c. 39-26) • Purpose: “To facilitate the development of new renewable resources to supply electricity to customers in Rhode Island with goals of stabilizing long-term energy prices, enhancing environmental quality, and creating jobs in Rhode Island in the renewable energy sector.” Section 39-26-3. • Cape Wind meets each goal.

  9. Legislative Processes • Multiple Congressional attempts to block offshore wind failed (mostly riders on unrelated bills). • Domenici-Barton Energy Policy Act of 2005 • Section 388 clarifies “property” issue by allowing Secretary of Interior to grant “leases, easements, or rights of way” for offshore wind on OCS. • Savings Clause recognizes preenactment applications of Cape Wind and LIPA by (i) not requiring refiling, and (ii) exemption from competitive bidding. • MMS Regulations required to be issued within 270 days of enactment.

  10. Young/Stevens Amendment to Block Cape Wind • Chairman Young and Stevens of Alaska have added a provision to the Conference Report USCG Authorization to kill the project. • Unrestricted veto power over project in Federal waters, applicable only to Cape Wind. • Still Pending.

  11. Young/Stevens Amendment to Block Cape Wind - continued • Opposed by Chairman and Ranking Members of Senate Energy Committee, Chairman of House Energy Committee, USDOE, ISO-NE, and leaders of Massachusetts Legislature (letter of opposition from 69 Massachusetts legislators includes 18 Chairs and House Majority Leaders.) • Young/Stevens Amendment is opposed by Editorial Boards of New York Times, Boston Globe, Providence Journal, Harford Courant, Washington Times and Washington Post. • Massachusetts public favors project by 6-to-1 margin, per latest polling of UMass.

  12. Economic Business Council:Wind Energy Planning Dennis J. Duffy VP-Regulatory Affairs May 25, 2006

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