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Sep 16 - PRNewswire
A white paper released today by a New Hampshire based think tank warned New Englanders about a growing shortage of energy production that could lead to rolling blackouts as soon as 2008. The paper, produced by the Josiah Bartlet Center for Public Policy, lays out why the region is poised for rolling blackouts and expresses concern about the impact this instability will have on future economic development in the region. On June 15, 2005, FERC administrative law judge (ALJ) Bobbie McCartney endorsed the proposal saying LICAP "appears to provide the proper incentives to build the right amount of capacity at the lowest possible cost." Currently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is considering the proposal and has an oral argument scheduled for September 20. The New England Coalition for Reliable Electricity reacted swiftly by calling on New England lawmakers to seriously analyze the report before taking any action on LICAP. The coalition, which supports the LICAP proposal, mailed the report to lawmakers, businesses, and stakeholders across the region. Cindy Eid, executive director of NECORE, said, "The Bartlett Center adds a valuable voice to the growing recognition of New England's need for more reliable and affordable electricity. LICAP is the most cost effective, cleanest, and smartest way we can prevent electricity problems for us tomorrow." Eid continued, "Arlinghaus' report presents the complexities of our electricity market in the clearest and most comprehensive manner. Our coalition will be distributing this study to everyone involved in the debate- it's important everyone understand the true nature of New England's electricity problem so we can come up with realistic solutions." Charles M. Arlinghaus, a member of the NECORE Advisory Board and president of the Bartlett Center, authored the report entitled The Coming Electricity Shortage in New England and What We Can Do About It. Arlinghaus outlines the persistent growth trends in the region's aggregate energy demand and focuses a critical eye on the measures now in place to provide our homes and businesses in New England with sufficient power during stretches of peak consumption. "New England is rapidly running out of capacity and the current payment structure doesn't support the operating costs of the plants that generate power, new or old. Not only is new power not being developed, but existing capacity is in trouble as well. "The current approach to keeping enough plants open to meet demand is best described as a patching operation, a stopgap measure designed only to triage an unsustainable system until a solution can be put in place. It addresses a critical short-term problem but is not a workable system for the future," said Arlinghaus. That workable system for the future, according to Arlinghaus, is LICAP, which will eliminate the barriers to investment that keep new power plants from being constructed where they'll be needed the most. The report can be found in its entirety at (http://necore.org/docs/press/policy_0905.pdf). The New England Coalition for Reliable Electricity (NECORE) is dedicated to promoting economic growth and ensuring a cleaner, reliable and more affordable supply of electricity in New England communities. New England Coalition for Reliable Electricity CONTACT: Laura Dlugacz, +1-202-572-6231, for the New England Coalition for Reliable Electricity |
Think Tank Study Calls for Implementation of LICAP