Offshore Wind Wire

The Maine Public Utilities Commission is planning a Sept. 1 solicitation for an offshore wind developer to build a 25 megawatt floating wind farm, Working Waterfront reported yesterday.

The project must be in water that is at least 300-feet-deep and at least 10 miles from the mainland or any inhabited island, according to Working Waterfront.

The winning developer must also have the ability to eventually build a 100 MW floating wind farm.  The report quoted a state official saying that the Public Utilities Commission is planning to accept proposals for two or three months and intends to have a winning bid in place within one year of the solicitation.

RI Puts Off PPA Dismissal Ruling Until Aug. 11

The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission will not rule on a motion to dismiss the proposed Block Island wind farm power purchase agreement until the final day of proceedings on the electricity deal — Aug. 11, according to the Providence Journal.

That motion, put forward by rival power company TransCanada, claims that the Rhode Island unconstitutionally favors in-state renewable energy generation and therefore interferes with interstate commerce, the Journal reported.  TransCanada also claims that it can provide renewable energy less expensively than the 24.4 cents per kilowatt hour that National Grid and Deepwater Wind have agreed to.

An attorney for Deepwater and National Grid was quoted saying that there is no in-state requirement and that TransCanada has misread the statute.