First Wind, a national renewable energy developer with wind facilities in the Northeast, will sell power to Burlington’s municipal utility.
Burlington Electric Department (BED) will purchase power generated from a planned 18-turbine, 54 megawatt wind project near Ellsworth, Maine. First Wind operates five wind projects in the Pine Tree State.
The Boston-based renewable energy developer also built the 16-turbine wind farm in Sheffield, which is a 16 Mw source of power for BED.
Under the agreement, First Wind will sell 25 percent of the power and renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated at the wind farm for the next 10 years under a fixed-price agreement.
The new power supply will bring BED’s renewable energy power portfolio to 92 percent after the sale of RECs, moving it toward its goal to be 100 percent renewable. Currently, BED’s renewable energy generation is about 46.5 percent, excluding the sale of RECs, according to a portfolio posted on its website.
Barbara Grimes, general manager of BED, said the agreement was a good deal.
“BED has a goal of bringing more renewable power to its customers, and this contract will help us achieve that goal. Stably priced, clean, green and locally generated power is the way to keep our economy strong and our environment clean,” she said in a news release.
Mary Sullivan, communications coordinator for BED, said the agreement will not affect ratepayers.
Sullivan said the utility is also negotiating with the Winooski One Hydroelectric Plant on a power contract.
“We are hoping to have that within our portfolio soon,” she said.
“We’re happy to help BED meet its renewable energy goals,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind, in a news release. “This project will help provide clean, renewable energy to Burlington ratepayers at a highly competitive cost, and the Hancock Wind project will deliver significant economic benefits throughout Down East Maine.”
