New Hamphire Independent Biomass

PLAIN TALK FROM THE NH WOODS

Recently trade unions and a potential steel vendor to the Laidlaw Berlin power plant project made some assertions about our businesses and our motives that were just plain wrong. We can’t blame them for wanting to sell steel and put the New England labor union work force to work, but their recent attacks on us demonstrate that they do not know us and have not been
involved in the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) review of the Laidlaw Berlin energy contract. We’d like to introduce ourselves and set the record straight.
We’re your friends and neighbors. Our six small wood-fired power plants have been fixtures in New Hampshire for more than 20 years, generating clean renewable energy and providing more than 500 good paying jobs with benefits. Annually, we inject some $50 million dollars into the local economy. Our employees live and work in New Hampshire and love our state.
And, like many of us in these tough economic times, our employees are concerned because their jobs are in jeopardy. If we do not receive new energy contracts for the purchase of our renewable wood power our continued operations are at risk.
On behalf of our New Hampshire employees, we are participating in the PUC’s required review of the proposed Laidlaw Berlin project’s electric contract with Public Service Company Of New Hampshire (PSNH) for several reasons. First, the Laidlaw Berlin contract requires PSNH customers to continually contribute to wood fuel price increases through their electric rates. In fact, the PUC Staff determined that the Laidlaw Berlin contract, as originally submitted to the PUC, was about $500 million over market prices. Second, this type of contract not only places our businesses at a competitive disadvantage, it makes our continued operations uncertain.
Among other reasons, we asked the PUC to reconsider its 2-1 vote on the Laidlaw Berlin contract because, as noted by one commissioner, the New Hampshire renewable energy law that applies to this contract does not extend beyond the year 2025. The Laidlaw Berlin contract, however, requires PSNH customers to buy through the year 2034 -- even if the legislature repeals the law before that time. For this reason, the contract does not meet the minimum requirements of law set by our state legislature.
We continue to work hard during these difficult economic times to keep our businesses operating and our New Hampshire employees and suppliers working. We ask for your understanding and your support for our existing renewable energy businesses and the hundreds of your neighbors who benefit from our continued operation. Thank you.

Bridgewater Power Company, L.P., Indeck-Alexandria, LLC, Pinetree Power Inc., Pinetree Power-Tamworth, Inc., Springfield Power, LLC, Whitefield Power and Light Company.