Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 1 6 demands to replace coal, oil and nuclear power as fuel for the region's electricity generation, without increasing wholesale electricity costs that already are among the highest in the nation. Demand for clean energy e New England Clean Power RFP requires a minimum project size of 20 megawatts of renew- able power to qualify — enough power for roughly 10,000 homes — and is based on the premise that the three southern New England states would have more buying power collectively than on their own. It's a complex procurement, pitting 24 proposals involving large-scale solar, wind, fuel cell and hydro projects against each other for a share of the long-term power contracts promised by the RFP. e selection of the winning projects is scheduled to take place between April 26 and July 26. Power purchase con- tracts and regulatory approvals would follow. John Carroll, spokesman for AVANGRID, New Gloucester-based parent company of CMP, acknowl- edges the uncertainties about SunEdison's fi nances are an unexpected complication for the utility's joint Maine Renewable Energy Interconnect proposal with Emera Maine that was submitted in late January, two months before SunEdison's troubles became public. But Carroll fl atly rejects any notion that SunEdison's troubles could scuttle CMP and Emera Maine's bid to be one of the winning projects when the New England Clean Energy RFP procurement awards are announced this summer. "We don't think it changes the merits of this proposal," Carroll said. "We are continuing to work with SunEdison. We think there is tremendous value in the wind projects attached to our proposal." Carroll points out SunEdison's 600-megawatt King Pine wind farm proposal represents less than half the power the utilities' MREI proposal plans to deliver to the three southern New England states. e pro- posal also includes two Aroostook wind farms being developed by EDP Renewables North America LLC — the 400-megawatt Number Nine Wind Farm and 248-megawatt Horse Mountain Wind Farm — and is expected to send enough electricity to service 250,000 homes in southern New England. Carroll also notes SunEdison's 86-megawatt Somerset Wind proposal represents only 15% of the 550 megawatts of wind energy in CMP's separate Clean Power Connection proposal that calls for a new 66-mile transmission line in western Maine extending from Johnson Mountain Township near Jackman to the main grid connection in Pittsfi eld. e C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the We don't think it changes the merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are merits of this proposal. We are continuing to work with SunEdison. We think there is tremendous value in the wind projects attached to our proposal. — John Carroll, spokesman for AVANGRID, parent company of Central Maine Power

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