FERC nukes wind power, or something like that By Chris Madison (AWEA)

All you need to know is that FERC has given the Kansas utility the green light to charge a wind energy developer an exorbitant charge to connect to the grid.

Rob Gramlich, AWEA’s senior vice president for public policy, said, "This flawed order, unless corrected on rehearing, sets a precedent that would add significant new costs to renewable energy nationally."

FERC accepted Westar’s statement of the cost of integrating wind farm into the grid without granting the industry a chance to rebut Westar’s proposal.

"We are surprised and disappointed that FERC would approve, without even an evidentiary hearing, a proposal that discriminates against renewables and assesses charges well above their costs," Gramlich added.

AWEA Statement Condemning FERC Westar Order

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) conditionally approved a proposal by the Kansas utility Westar that would in effect take millions of dollars from wind generators connecting to its system to subsidize the utility’s other operations. AWEA believes the Westar proposal is deeply flawed, and today released the following statement by AWEA’s Senior Vice-President for Public Policy Rob Gramlich:

“This flawed order, unless corrected on rehearing, sets a precedent that would add significant new costs to renewable energy nationally. We are surprised and disappointed that FERC would approve, without even an evidentiary hearing, a proposal that discriminates against renewables and assesses charges well above their costs.”

If you want to read the flawed decision click: www.awea.org/newsroom/pdf/3-18-10-FERC_Westar_Order.pdf

By Chris Madison, AWEA, www.awea.org/blog/