The ISO’s Forward Capacity Auction 11, conducted on Monday, February 6, 2017, once again shows that the proposed Invenergy fracked gas and diesel oil power plant is not needed. The Independent System Operator-New England (ISO) is the entity that runs the New England electricity grid. The ISO is regulated under federal law, and is responsible for…
Feb 9
2017
2017
Jan 19
2017
2017
Making Renewable Energy “Dispatchable”
One of the biggest criticisms of renewable energy is that it is not “dispatchable.” “Dispatchable” electricity generators are the most useful ones to operators of the electricity grid, because grid operators can turn them on and off as needed, and more accurately control their output of electricity to keep the overall grid safe and reliable.…
Jan 18
2017
2017
CLF Defeats Gas Pipeline Proposal in Rhode Island PUC
Late in the afternoon on Friday, January 13, just before the start of the long MLK holiday weekend, National Grid quietly filed a letter with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) asking the PUC to close Docket # 4627. This is the Docket that would have allowed National Grid to contract for a portion…
Dec 5
2016
2016
Blazing the Trail for Offshore Wind in Rhode Island
In just a few days, the first offshore wind farm in the country will go live. The five-turbine Block Island Wind Project, developed by Deepwater Wind off the coast of Rhode Island, was more than 10 years in the making. The lessons learned and the trails blazed from this small project are setting the stage…
Nov 29
2016
2016
New England Electric Grid Operator May Address Carbon Emissions and Climate Change
In an historic first, ISO-New England may rewrite its market rules for regional electricity sales to account for carbon emissions and climate change. CLF is proud to be deeply involved in this remarkable effort. What Is the ISO? The Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE or just ISO) is the entity that runs the New England…
Sep 19
2016
2016
CLF Files Motion to Dismiss Invenergy Case (Again)
The tide may be turning in the Invenergy case. On Tuesday, September 13, the Town of Burrillville filed a Motion to Dismiss the Invenergy Docket. This was important because the Town Council had been widely seen as being very supportive of the Invenergy proposal. The Town’s Motion is based on the fact that Invenergy has…
Sep 1
2016
2016
Problems for Invenergy Continue to Mount
I have written before about Invenergy’s proposal to build a new 1,000 megawatt fossil fuel power plant in rural Burrillville, Rhode Island; and I have recently written about mounting problems that Invenergy faces. Now Invenergy may be facing new, additional problems. On August 31, 2016, the Town of Burrillville Planning Board filed its Advisory Opinion in the…
Aug 31
2016
2016
Invenergy’s Proposed New Fossil Fuel Plant May Have Difficulty Finding Water to Use
Invenergy’s inability to obtain water for its proposed 1,000-megawatt fossil-fuel plant in Burrillville, Rhode Island, may prove to be a significant obstacle to the plant’s proponents. By way of background, Invenergy’s pending permit application to the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) calls for Invenergy to acquire well water from Pascoag Utility District (PUD) Well 3A,…
Jul 25
2016
2016
Carbon and Climate Are the Main Issues in Invenergy Gas Plant Case
This week, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission is hearing the Invenergy case. In a blog last week, I wrote about the overall structure of the case and that there are three main issues: Whether the plant is needed for system reliability, which you can read about here. Whether Invenergy has lied by grossly overstating…
Jul 21
2016
2016
Invenergy Hearing at the Public Utilities Commission
Starting on Monday, July 25, 2016, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is hearing Docket #4609 about the proposal from Invenergy to build a new 900-megawatt fossil-fuel power plant in Burrillville, Rhode Island. The PUC is considering two specific questions about the Invenergy proposal: (a) is the plant needed for the reliability of the…