Exelon Attempts To Block Spread Of Wind Power

[kristopher]

Exelon Attempts To Block Spread Of Wind Power
Energy industry lobbyists, worried about corporate profits, are engaged in a behind-the-scenes effort to block wind power legislation in Springfield.

Angela Caputo Tuesday March 30th, 2010, 3:34pm

Its worth keeping an eye on the Illinois Senate Energy Committee in the coming weeks. Last month, we noted how Chairman Mike Jacobs (D-Moline) shelved key "green" legislation on the eve of a critical legislative deadline while unexpectedly giving a pass to some legislation benefiting the energy industry. At the time, State Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) -- whose wind-related bill remained stalled -- attributed the incident to a "miscommunication."

Now Crain's is reporting (subscription required) that energy industry lobbyists were indeed engaged in a behind-the-scenes effort to thwart Harmon's measure (SB 3686), objecting to one provision which would require that utilities fulfilling their obligations under the state's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard procure renewable energy from Illinois sources before turning to neighboring states.

Wind advocates have launched a counter-campaign, arguing that the bill is key to launching some shovel-ready Illinois wind farms over the next year. "If Exelon is successful," Illinois Wind Energy Association's Kevin Borgia wrote yesterday, "the Illinois projects remain in limbo, and the new jobs, tax revenue, and other economic development likely go to Texas, the Dakotas, and even Manitoba."

Why is Exelon lobbying against the legislation while marketing itself as a renewable energy leader? Publicly, the company is claiming the measure will drive up consumers' electric bills. But Crain's suggests that there could be another underlying reason:

But a continued influx of homegrown wind power could hit Exelon where it hurts the most, reducing wholesale power prices in Illinois. That's because wind tends to blow hardest at night, when power demand is lowest. In recent years, real-time prices at night have turned negative at times, requiring generators to actually pay to unload their juice, because supply has outstripped demand. More local wind power likely would exacerbate that effect. Exelon's nukes run around the clock, making them more vulnerable to these price swings, while natural gas- and coal-fired plants can shut down when demand is weak <...>

Joseph Dominguez, Exelon's senior vice-president for state governmental affairs, acknowledges more wind power in the market could hurt prices the nuclear plants could charge, but he said it could hurt higher-cost coal-fired plants more.

As far as Borgia is concerned, claim...

http://progressillinois.com/posts/content/2010/03/30/exelon-attempts-block-spread-wind-power

[Hannah Bell]

1. exelon = major obama backer, chicago base.

Exelon's Political Action Committee (PAC) is EXELONPAC.<7> The company is positioned to profit from "expensive carbon" and has been lobbying for cap and trade of carbon dioxide emissions. Executives at the company have close ties to the Obama administration as advisors and fundraisers, and Obama's chief political strategist David Axelrod did consulting work for it.<8>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exelon

[amborin]

3. Obama watered down Illinios water laws (pardon the pun) after

donations from Exelon....polluting the aquifer....

[kristopher]

2. Kick