New (power) line expense may hit Mainers (New GOP FERC rules)

[jpak]

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/3411013.html

AUGUSTA -- A federal law designed to ease electricity transmission bottlenecks and improve power reliability could hit Maine ratepayers in the pocketbooks, twice.

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The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gives the federal government the power to preempt state and local government agencies in order to encourage the construction of new transmission lines in areas where bottlenecks exist or are projected.

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But perhaps the most widespread impact would be the effect the law could have on ratepayers. Maine now has about 3,300 megawatts of generating capacity, although it uses only about 2,400 megawatts at peak -- most days Maine residents use between 1,300 and 1,800 megawatts.

That surplus of power means that the least efficient and most expensive power plants are only used when electricity usage climbs toward peak. If the surplus were to disappear, electricity would become more expensive.

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