Laidlaw Energy Group, Inc.(fka LLEG)

[spencerforhire]

PUC's Consumer Advocate Rejects Laidlaw's Plans
By Chris Jensen on Monday, December 20, 2010
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A new report from a state office that is responsible for looking out for New Hampshire consumers is bad news for a proposed biomass plant in Berlin.

The report comes from the Public Utilities Commission’s Office of the Consumer Advocate.

It looks at the proposed 20-year contract under which Public Service of New Hampshire would buy electricity from a biomass plant to be operated by Laidlaw Berlin Bipower.

It recommends the PUC reject the deal.

Over the 20 years it says the deal would cost PSNH customers about $400 million more than if PSHN bought the electricity elsewhere.

The PUC will be holding hearings on the deal next month. If it follows the advice of the consumer advocate that would be a huge problem for Laidlaw.

Earlier this year the project got an okay from the state’s site evaluation committee.

But a major condition was that the PUC approve the 20-year contract.

The site evaluation committee predicted without that contract being approved Laidlaw probably won’t have the financing it needs to go ahead.

For NHPR News this is Chris Jensen