NS Department of Energy has released the Request for Proposals (RFP) to renewable energy developers. This would include the developers of the Pugwash wind project.
The RFP release has been delayed due to wrangling between various parties over the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This is a shell form that is used to form an agreement between developers and Nova Scotia Power once the projects have been approved.
Once the PPA was approved by the Utilities and Review Board (UARB), the final wording of the RFP was determined and finally released. Because of these delays, the format of how projects are to be submitted is a little different to how we had been originally told. The proponents now have until June 27th to submit their projects to the Renewable Energy Administrator (REA).
The proponents' projects are scored by the REA from predetermined criteria (see below). In the case of a tie, other factors could have influence, for example input from the public to the REA.
The REA, which is in Massachusetts with an office in Toronto, only knows what the developer submits in their project proposal. The developer is going to present the very best case they can to the REA in order to win the bid.
It is up to those of us who care about the Pugwash economy and quality of life to make sure that the REA is truly informed about the Pugwash project - warts and all.
There are many other wind projects on offer that are abundantly better located, planned and prepared - the extensions to existing projects at Glen Dhu and Dalhousie Mountain come to mind.
We have been going though this process for over 5.5 years. Now we have 17 days to make sure the people who are going to make a decision that could affect all our lives forever know all that they need to know about this project, particularly those uglier facts that you can be assured will not be included in the project proposal. Check out the criteria list below and please make sure the REA knows all what we know. What they will find out for sure is that this is a contentious and unpopular project and that it will not score well in "Community Acceptance". Copy your emails to your MLA and NS Ministers too. Make sure you get your letters in by June 27th.
The Department of the Environment received unprecedented volumes of letters over our objections to the Pugwash project EA. The government is taking notice. Lets make sure the REA knows where Pugwash, Nova Scotia is too!
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The RFP is at: http://nsrenewables.ca/request-proposals
The Environmental Assessments are at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/ea/
Renewable Energy Administrator (REA): REA@poweradvisoryllc.com
NS Minister of Environment, Sterling Belliveau: min_env@gov.ns.ca
NS Minister of Energy, Charlie Parker: energyminister@gov.ns.ca
MLA for Cumberland North, Brian Skabar: brian@brianskabarmla.ca
The REA can also be contacted via their website http://poweradvisoryllc.com/contact.html or
http://nsrenewables.ca/competitive-bidding/renewable-electricity-administrator.
Scoring Criteria
Network Upgrade Requirements: 40
Project Team Experience : 15
Financial Assessment: 15
Resource Assessment: 10
Environmental Assessment: 10
Community Acceptance: 10
Top score: 100
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