NatGrid proposes wind, solar fees

PROVIDENCE – New fees proposed by National Grid on wind and solar systems are raising the ire of renewable energy developers and advocates, according to ecoRI News.

National Grid says the fees would offset costs of running and improving the electric grid, as power generation shifts from big power plants to solar arrays and wind turbines.

National Gird is offering two main fees. The first is an increase in the customer charge on all electric bills. For commercial use, the new fee range would run from $10.50 to $26 a month.

The other fee would apply to larger, stand-alone wind turbines and solar arrays, based on the amount of electricity the project can generate.

- Advertisement -

Opponents, including the state’s biggest developer of land-based wind power, Wind Energy Development LLC, fear National Grid is looking for revenue to fund its current static distribution system, which they say would actually become less expensive to manage with the anticipated growth of energy efficiency and renewable power, ecoRI News reported.

The state Public Utilities Commission is expected to decide on the proposed fees by March 1. •

No posts to display