N.E. Clean Power Connect in Maine - Should we care ?

[maineguy]

You get what you ask for !

So true. You get what you vote for. But voters seldom seem to grasp this. Of course, the CMP vote didn't cause this increase. New England uses lots of natural gas for power generation and the latest war in Europe doesn't help with prices. But, New York blocking any natural gas pipelines from PA to New England makes things worse as does the antiquated Jones Act regarding shipping natural gas by sea.

[peakbagger]

CPC has no relationship to power pricing in Maine. CMP is running it through a non regulated side of the business so any profits are not factored in when they go for a rate case. All the power carried by CPC is designated for Mass, Maine consumers do not get any of it. The only benefit to Maine is that a minscule portion of the profits will got to the state for consumer energy efficiency projects.

If someone wants to improve the natural gas availability in Maine just sign a firm contract with the PNGTS natural gas pipeline system that runs from the Quebec border to South Portland. When it was built they did not put in compressor stations in Maine or NH (to speed up construction). Put in compressor stations, and the capacity of the line increases 20 to 30%. The reason it has not been done is that the US natural gas industry has been trying for years to get more gas transmission into the region from the Marcelus region in PA. They have figured out that if they can make New England shiver enough that the pipelines will get built and someone will sign a firm gas price contract to pay for it.

[maineguy]

CPC has no relationship to power pricing in Maine. CMP is running it through a non regulated side of the business so any profits are not factored in when they go for a rate case. All the power carried by CPC is designated for Mass, Maine consumers do not get any of it. The only benefit to Maine is that a minscule portion of the profits will got to the state for consumer energy efficiency projects.

If someone wants to improve the natural gas availability in Maine just sign a firm contract with the PNGTS natural gas pipeline system that runs from the Quebec border to South Portland. When it was built they did not put in compressor stations in Maine or NH (to speed up construction). Put in compressor stations, and the capacity of the line increases 20 to 30%. The reason it has not been done is that the US natural gas industry has been trying for years to get more gas transmission into the region from the Marcelus region in PA. They have figured out that if they can make New England shiver enough that the pipelines will get built and someone will sign a firm gas price contract to pay for it.

Who said that CPC affects power pricing in Maine? However, delivering electricity to the New England grid in MA should reduce the need for natural gas for power generation in that area. This should free up supplies for other areas including ME.

Why buy natural gas from Canada (which I believe comes all the way from Western Canada via Quebec) when it is available in PA? I would like to see some evidence of your claim that the "natural gas industry" is trying to freeze NE. NY is preventing the pipeline from being built. Maybe they should freeze Albany.

Finally, there must be a reason they have not increased the PNGTS natural gas pipeline efficiency other than that conspiracy theory. There are lots of groups that want to limit the amount of natural gas being shipped to NE, but I hardly think the industry is one of them. Here is one: (dated 2017 but I doubt they have changed their position.

https://www.sierraclub.org/maine/blo...ipeline-quebec

[peakbagger]

You must be confused, I am not against natural gas pipelines. The groups like Sierra Club are the ones against them. The natural gas industry are the ones that have been shot down multiple times trying to build them into the region. They are the ones that want New England to freeze a bit in hopes that the Federal Government steps in and fast tracks approval like had been promised to Senator Manchin for him to sign off on the Inflation Reduction Act. To date the future legislation has been stalled to put fast tracking in place.

I must have read into Richard's post "you get what you pay for" in response your post about big increases in Maine power rates that someone was linking the big Maine rate increases to CPC. Mass is really messing up the pricing in this regional market as they have a high renewable portfolio standard yet has a low percentage of generation in general with the loss of Yankee Rowe. They therefore need to buy renewable power from Maine and NH at whatever the market will charge. Yes CPC or the already approved VT project would pump more "renewable" into the pool but its far easier to just up US gas generation by supplying it gas then buying relabeled gas generation from HQ.

BTW PNGTS has gone out formally at least once for firm price customers to build the compressor stations with no interest.

[maineguy]

You must be confused, I am not against natural gas pipelines. The groups like Sierra Club are the ones against them. The natural gas industry are the ones that have been shot down multiple times trying to build them into the region. They are the ones that want New England to freeze a bit in hopes that the Federal Government steps in and fast tracks approval like had been promised to Senator Manchin for him to sign off on the Inflation Reduction Act. To date the future legislation has been stalled to put fast tracking in place.

I must have read into Richard's post "you get what you pay for" in response your post about big increases in Maine power rates that someone was linking the big Maine rate increases to CPC. Mass is really messing up the pricing in this regional market as they have a high renewable portfolio standard yet has a low percentage of generation in general with the loss of Yankee Rowe. They therefore need to buy renewable power from Maine and NH at whatever the market will charge. Yes CPC or the already approved VT project would pump more "renewable" into the pool but its far easier to just up US gas generation by supplying it gas then buying relabeled gas generation from HQ.

BTW PNGTS has gone out formally at least once for firm price customers to build the compressor stations with no interest.

I never said (nor do I believe) that you were opposed to natural gas. Can't figure out how you arrived at that conclusion. I agree about just upping US gas generation. The US should never have to buy natural gas from any other country. And I understand about the relabeled gas generation from HQ.