Massachusetts Utilities to recover offshore wind project costs
April 18, 2019
The new Vineyard Wind project seeks to help expand Massachusetts clean energy supply per the newest Renewable Portfolio Standard in producing a total of 800MW. Currently the three major utilities have sided with governor Baker’s administration on the initiative to surcharge customers for sourcing electricity from this project. On the other side of this is Attorney General Maura Healey who argues that National Grid, Eversource, and Unitil should be kept from placing this charge on their customers. There are already other measures in place by these utilities to cover additional costs for the project. Allowing utilities to charge this additional amount would net them tens of millions, and set a precedent for the same action to be taken in future wind or hydroelectric projects. In the long run, this would be reflected in the ratepayers.
