Laidlaw Energy Group, Inc.(fka LLEG)

[HLH]

PUC denies motion for rehearing
By Barbara Tetreault
Jun 24, 2011 12:00 am
CONCORD -- The Public Utilities Commission yesterday denied a motion seeking a rehearing of its order approving a power purchase agreement between Public Service of N.H. and Laidlaw/Berlin Station. In doing so, the commission affirmed the amended PPA submitted by PSNH.
The PUC decision removes another obstacle to Laidlaw/Berlin Station’s plan to construct a 75-megawatt biomass plant on the former pulp mill site in Berlin. Earlier this month, the state Site Evaluation Committee approved requested changes in the certificate of site and facility. A condition of the certificate was an approved PPA.
Still left is an appeal of the PUC decision to the state Supreme Court filed by the fire-fired Independent Power Producers. The court must now rule whether it will accept the appeal for hearing.
In April, the PUC approved the PPA between PSNH and Laidlaw/Berlin Station on condition the utility file a revised agreement that meet the terms laid out by the commission. Among the terms was a reduction in the total payments to Laidllaw/Berlin Station. The PUC said the original contract could cost rate payers as much as $2 billion over its 20-year term. The PUC said it would approve a modified PPA that would reduce payments to approximately $1.3 billion over the 20 years. PSNH last month filed a revised agreement.
The IPPs appealed the PUC decision as did Berlin businessman Jonathan Edwards doing business as Edrest. Edrest later filed to terminate its appeal which the PUC approved in the order. The Office of the Consumer Advocate filed a letter setting forth some concerns.
The city of Berlin, which was approved as an intervenor in the process, objected to the motions for rehearing. The city maintained that reopening the matter would stall the approval and carry serious economic risks.
The PUC ruled the arguments made by the IPPs were largely the same arguments advanced in the original hearing.