NEW HAMPSHIRE RES SPURS NEW ENERGY

NH's 'green power' law draws wind parks
Paula Tracy, August 10, 2009 (New Hampshire Union Leader)

"The state's incentives for "green power" proved a draw for the company that plans to build a string of 410-foot wind turbines across remote ridge lines in Coos County.

"Like 29 other states and the District of Columbia, New Hampshire is offering trade-able credits for renewable power through the state's new [Renewable Electricity Standard, RES]…"

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"The 2007 [RES] law requires utilities to buy certain percentages of power from renewable sources; Gov. John Lynch's goal is to have 25 percent of the electricity used in New Hampshire come from renewable resources by 2025.

"The Granite Reliable Power Project received a state certificate July 15 to build a 99-megawatt wind park. Using a series of 33 towers…it is expected to produce enough emissions-free electricity to power 40,000 homes a year…[Noble] will spend $275 million to build the wind park here because of the [RES]…In 2005, about 10 percent of the state's power came from renewable resources, but that is now increasing…[although] it costs more to buy the renewable power…"

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"On June 19, Iberdrola Renewables dedicated [the 24-megawatt Lempster Wind Project,] the state's first commercial wind operation…[the RES was] a positive factor…[but] wind and access to transmission are the primary drivers…PSNH buys the wind and…credits [RECs] and it also sells the power to New Hampshire Electric Coop…

"[Public Service of New Hampshire, PSNH]… said the [99-megawatt Granite Reliable Power] project simply would not have come here were it not for [RES] credits. [It will boost New Hampshire's wind production to 125 megawatts by 2011]…"