The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority finalized its tentative approved the state’s purchase of 270 megawatts of renewable power from a Maine wind farm and a Lisbon solar array.
PURA’s decision comes after a draft decision issued earlier this month allowing electric utilities Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating to charge ratepayers for the cost of recovering the expenses of buying this renewable power.
The proposal to buy 250 megawatts of wind from Number Nine Wind Farm in Maine and 20 megawatts of solar from Fusion Solar Center in Lisbon was orchestrated by the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, which solicited projects in an effort to meet the state’s renewable energy goals.
In PURA’s decision, regulators said they didn’t see any specific benefit for Connecticut ratepayers to funding a Maine wind farm, as the power won’t be directly consumed in Connecticut. DEEP argued since the wind farm will replace the need for some greenhouse gas-emitted power plants in the regional New England power grid, Connecticut will receive the environmental benefits of cleaner New England air.
