BURLINGTON, Vt. — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick proposed a resolution at the New England Governor’s Conference that passed unanimously and will advance the process toward a coordinated regional procurement of renewable energy. Assistant Secretary of Energy Steven Clarke presented the proposal at the Burlington, Vt. conference on the Governor’s behalf. The six New England states agreed to release a request for proposal (RFP) in 2013 for a significant amount of renewable energy. Taking advantage of economies of scale and market power, a competitive, coordinated regional procurement of renewable energy will help New England develop its vast, homegrown, renewable energy resource more cost effectively, enhance energy supply diversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate economic development. The resolution charges The New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE) with developing and implementing a work plan on behalf of the New England governors that will result in the release of an RFP for renewable energy in 2013. NESCOE will convene a procurement team of energy officials and other representatives from each state that will finalize the details of the competitive, coordinated, regional procurement over the course of the next year.
“The Massachusetts clean energy revolution is well underway thanks to leadership from Governor Patrick and the legislature, and I look forward to working with my counterparts in the other New England states to further this revolution,” said Energy and Environment Secretary Rick Sullivan. “We launched our own version of a competitive procurement for renewable energy here in Massachusetts thru Section 83 of the Green Communities Act, which was very successful — requiring utilities to enter into long-term contracts with the developers of renewable energy projects, in order to help them obtain financing and it could also serve as an effective model for regional procurement.”