Maine PUC awards contracts for solar, wind projects
The Maine Public Utilities Commission this week awarded contracts for six new solar-power projects and an existing wind-power project in the state's second renewable energy procurement, required under a 2019 law.
This week's announcement comes after 17 renewable projects were chosen in the first procurement under the statute last September.
The full list of projects approved this week can be found here. Winning bidders include New York City-based C2 Energy Capital LLC, Helix Maine Wind Development LLC and a host of others.
Bidders estimate the projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 260,000 tons per year.
The projects will also result in 175 full-time equivalent jobs during the construction phase and 14 full-time equivalent jobs in each year of operations, while contributing millions of dollars to Maine's economy over the 20-year contract period, the state said in a news release.
"I am again pleased with the results of this procurement, as participation was robust and the bids were very competitive," said Philip L. Bartlett II, chair of the Maine PUC, in Tuesday's announcement.
He also said that initial prices range from 2.8 cents to 3.9 cents per kilowatt-hour, adding, "These prices, combined with the economic and environmental benefits that the projects will provide, are a positive outcome for Maine."
Selected bidders will enter long-term contracts with one or both of Maine's investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities, Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power.
Final contracts are subject to approval by the Maine Public Utilities Commission and will be reviewed annually to ensure they are achieving the planned economic benefits. If a project doesn't meet those targets, its contract price may be adjusted downward and subject to investigation by the energy regulator.
This week's decision is the first by the PUC since Patrick Scully, former CEO of Portland-based law firm Bernstein Shur, joined the commission last month.
As he was preparing for his confirmation hearing in Augusta, Scully told Mainebiz in an interview that he would seek to bring greater transparency to the PUC and was looking forward to playing a role in helping Maine businesses and residents move away from oil and gas and towards more renewable energy.
"The grid is going to have to be built to support all of that, so it's going to be a very fascinating and important transition that we go through," he said. "To be a part of that is going to be really interesting and compelling."
He was sworn in by Gov. Mills in early June.
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