AIDG Blog [Appropriate Technology, Development, Environment]

From NSTAR:

This July, NSTAR will be offering an exciting new option for customers - the option to have your electricity supplied by renewable sources.

Highlights

• Basic Service customers will be able to choose to have half or all of their electricity come from NSTAR Green.
• There will be an additional premium for this option. While exact pricing still needs to be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, the NSTAR Green option will, on average, add an additional $4 to $7 a month to your bill, depending on the NSTAR Green option chosen.
• The program is initially offering electricity generated from Maple Ridge Wind Farm in upstate New York.
• Our customers can pre-enroll in NSTAR Green.

From the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) newsletter:

The manager of the UCS Northeast Clean Energy Project, John Rogers, led a coalition of clean energy advocates that worked with NSTAR on the program’s design. The coalition, which included UCS, the Conservation Law Foundation and Environment Massachusetts, also testified before the state’s Department of Public Utilities.

To power the program, NSTAR has signed 10-year contracts for 60 megawatts of wind power from two wind farms: one in New York, the other in Maine. These long-term contracts help renewable energy project developers get financing and help lower the cost of renewable energy. Meanwhile, encouraging renewable energy development diversifies the region’s energy supply and protects customers from spikes in the price of other energy sources, such as natural gas. All customers will benefit from the wind contracts.

Customers who select one of the green power options on their bills would pay premiums above the basic plan to reduce global warming pollution. Most of the nation’s electricity production comes from fossil fuels, mainly coal, which is the nation’s biggest source of global warming pollution. By contrast, wind power and other renewable sources of energy do not produce global warming emissions.

To pre-enroll in the program, you will need to supply your account number, zip-code and email address (optional).

Thanks, Peter H and Tom W.

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