NStar to offer wind power and peak pricing

[Ian David]

y: David
Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 11:59:02 AM EDT

Mega-utility NStar has agreed to offer two environmentally friendly programs to its customers.

Wind power:

In a first of its kind for Massachusetts utilities, NStar yesterday proposed to let its 1.1 million electric customers in Boston and 80 eastern Massachusetts cities and towns buy their power directly from a wind farm in upstate New York and a second under development in Maine. Because the wind farms are more expensive than other sources such as coal and nuclear power, a typical homeowner would pay a premium of about $7.50 to $15 monthly. The program will need approval from state utility regulators before it is launched, which could be as soon as Jan. 1....

Technically, NStar customers would not get their power directly from the Maine and New York wind farms, because it is impossible to transmit electricity through the power grid to a specific meter. But by paying for the turbines at Maple Ridge and Kibby Mountain to feed into the interconnected New England and New York power grids the same amount of power they're drawing from conventional sources closer to Boston such as coal, nuclear power, and gas- and oil-fired plants, NStar customers signing up for the program would be able to say they use the equivalent of 100 percent wind power.

And peak pricing:

Nstar also will allow customers to buy an electricity meter and be charged variable rates depending on the time of day. Prices will be highest during periods of peak overall energy use. Nstar?s so-called ?Dynamic Pricing Pilot Program? is designed to provide an incentive for customers to ease the strain on the electric grid during periods of peak demand.

Two steps in the right direction. Let's hope for more, and that other area utilities (like mine, National Grid) follow suit.

More:
http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=05177BC0DFCC7A9BFD71D73800BBA69C?diaryId=8012