Utilities Sign New Power Contracts

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(Host) Three Vermont power companies have signed contracts for electricity that would supplement or replace their existing deals with Vermont Yankee and Hydro-Quebec.

Under the new contracts, a lot of the power would come from wind and hydroelectric projects.

Robert Young is president of Central Vermont Public Service.

(Young) "What we’ve done here is to reach out to procure some new resources that will kick in in 2012 that will help diversify our portfolio, will reflect what we believe Vermonters are asking for."

(Host) 2012 is when contracts for power from Vermont Yankee are due to expire. The Vermont Senate is scheduled to vote on the relicensing next week.

CVPS, Green Mountain Power and the Vermont Electric Co-op say they might still buy power from the nuclear plant if it’s relicensed.

But Young says the new supplies also give the power companies more flexibility.

(Young) "It lessens our dependence on that plant. As we’ve seen from these RFPs, there are enormous resources out there that would be more than happy to sell us power. So this is not an issue of being dependent on VY because of any tightness in the power supply market."

(Host) The largest source of power under the new contracts would be from Granite Reliable Power. That’s a wind project that’s slated to be built in New Hampshire’s Coos County.

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