A renewable energy trade association is backing a plan to carry hydro and wind power from New York and Canada through Vermont to help southern New England states meet growing demands for cleaner power.
Transmission line developers have their sights on Vermont as the cheapest and shortest corridor to import renewable power to the region’s electrical grid as other states retire fossil fuel-powered plants and boost renewable energy standards.
Renewable Energy Vermont on Monday announced its support for a proposal yet to be finalized by the region’s leadership, industry, utilities and regulators. Nonetheless, they said using the state as a “green corridor” could be beneficial for Vermont and the region.
“Vermont has a long history of serving as a commercial conduit between our neighbors, and REV supports the evolution of that relationship to include renewable energy,” said board chair Thomas Hughes. “Done right, these projects could help Vermont and the region reach our clean energy targets.”
REV said Vermont should position itself to recoup the benefits of these projects in order to meet its goal of drawing 90 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050.
To do so, the group said the state should invest in its own transmission projects and build out more renewable power supply to send to southern markets.
The six New England governors last year agreed to launch a bidding process to attract imports of Canadian renewable power and natural gas with a ratepayer-backed guaranteed return on investment. The bidding process could be opened as soon as this fall, the Vermont Department of Public Service has said.
Some environmental groups are hesitant to support the plan, however. Last month, the Conservation Law Foundation filed a public records request to the state for all documents related to proposed transmission build-outs, natural gas pipeline capacity and hydropower imports from Canada.
Sandra Levine, a senior attorney for CLF, said it remains unclear how Vermont’s renewable energy industry can benefit from the plan.
“My concern is that the Hydro-Quebec power would take up the entirety of those transmission projects,” she said. “The public funding for the increased generation, is that just going to be accommodating additional Hydro-Quebec power?”
Johanna Miller, energy program director for the Vermont Natural Resources Council, said the group is working to better understand how the plan will affect the state’s natural resources.
The so-called green corridor, she said, is a vague concept.
“Is this just a super highway, or is this going to be highway with off ramps that could bring renewable energy into Vermont communities or needed transmission so we can bring more Vermont renewable energy into our grid? That’s what I don’t know,” she said.
Two transmission developers are working on proposals to bring hydropower from Canada and wind power from New York under Lake Champlain to Vermont substations. The projects still need state and federal approval.
The partnership aims to import up to 3,600 megawatts of renewable power to the region. And Massachusetts, the region’s largest electricity consumer, is proposing legislation requiring power providers to solicit 2,400 megawatts of clean energy by 2014.
VELCO, the state’s transmission utility, has urged lawmakers to keep an eye on these projects that will affect ratepayers.
