Cape Wind developer slams Massachusetts energy diversity bill

Cape Wind’s developer has strongly criticized a bill (HB 4377) recently passed by the Massachusetts House that would require utilities there to procure 1.2GW of offshore wind energy as “blatantly anti-competitive,” saying it would arbitrarily exclude the 468MW project from the proposed bidding process.

Last week, the House passed the Act to Promote Energy Diversity by a 154-1 margin. The Senate now has it under consideration.

The bill also mandates that electricity distribution companies procure hydropower potentially combined with solar energy and other forms of renewable energy.

Together, all renewable technologies would involve delivery of 9.45 million MWh of electricity each year.

For offshore wind, the bill would require electricity distributors to issue jointly on a competitive basis the initial request for proposals no later than 30 June 2017.