NSTAR Electric Co., a Westwood, Mass.-based utility, has announced a new program titled NSTAR Green, which, if approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), will allow customers to purchase half or all of their electric supply directly from wind farms in the Northeast.
NSTAR signed two 10-year contracts – one with PPM Energy to receive 30 MW of energy from the Maple Ridge Wind Farm in upstate New York, and another with TransCanada Corp. for 30 MW from the Kibby Wind Power Project currently under development in Maine. This deal marks another stride made by the Kibby project, as it recently gained support from the Maine Audobon after TransCanada amended its application to the state's Land Use Regulatory Commission to include additional measures to reduce potential harm to wildlife, habitat and scenic resources.
If DPU-approved, NSTAR Green – the result of collaborative efforts of the company, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Conservation Law Foundation and Environment Massachusetts – could begin supplying customers with renewable energy as early as January. Customers who opt to enroll in NSTAR Green will pay a premium of either $0.0175 cents or $0.03 cents per kWh more than the active basic service price, depending on which option they choose, the company adds.
