 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
newsroom
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) released the following statement by AWEA Policy Director Rob Gramlich following today’s release by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of its final rule (Order 890) on Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) reform. "The U.S. wind energy industry appreciates the Commission's efforts to make the electric power system better accommodate new technologies like wind energy. In particular, the Commission clearly listened and responded to the need for removal of imbalance penalties and the creation of a ‘Conditional Firm’ service in order to ensure fair market access for wind. If the Commission had required fixed conditions for such services over a long term, that would have opened the way for the financing and development of many new projects. However, we need to review exactly what the order says in order to determine whether it will have that effect. "While the wind industry generally applauds today's action, additional transmission-related barriers remain that are limiting the development of clean, renewable energy. At a time when the public is clamoring for policies aimed at reducing our reliance on foreign sources of energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, there is still more to be done. We stand ready to work with the Commission, Congress, states, and utilities to eliminate these barriers in order to enable renewable energy technologies to achieve their full potential." Background: Variable-output, renewable energy sources like wind fit easily into wholesale, pool-type Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) markets, where many reforms promoting non-discriminatory access are already adopted. In about half of the country including much of the wind-rich West, however, where old-fashioned tariffs are still in place, wind power has difficulty accessing transmission services. The U.S. wind energy industry, in filings during the proposed rulemaking, welcomed FERC’s efforts to promote more modern tariffs nationwide and urged the Commission to adopt transmission pricing and scheduling reforms and an improved process for transmission planning, to help ensure that the country taps the clean, vast, cost-effective, domestic energy resource that is wind.
AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association's membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org. # # # |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|