And the answer is......................................?

It’s been very interesting listening and reading all the opinions about what “appears” to be the demise of the Laidlaw/Berlin Station biomass project. Most of us who have been following this project for about five years know that, what is often being said isn’t accurate or truthful. The question is; is this project dead or is it taking a nap? I don’t know, but what I do know is that those who really know and make key decisions are not the ones that speak with the loudest voices. Quite often it is those who have hidden agendas or who are the “mouthpieces of others” that speak the loudest. For example, our politicians, who collectively don’t have an ounce of creative talent or real influence, they stoop down in the cesspool of rhetoric (ex: This will sink Isaacson’s) and make absurd remarks in keeping with their distorted and exaggerated interpretation of what the facts may be. All of us, including the developers of the Laidlaw/Berlin Station project would be better served if the likes of senator Gallus and mayor Grenier were to disappear from the scene and stop fanning the flames of confusion and deceit. This project was ill conceived from the start and if it wasn’t for politics, subsidies and self serving goals by PSNH, the project would have died a natural death five years ago. Had the citizens been given the opportunity to look at the project objectively we wouldn’t be having this conversation at this time. The list of issues that may sink the project is long, but hard economic times and the opportunistic nature of our politicians turned the project into a false promise of economic salvation for Berlin. The fact remains and will continue to remain that, Berlin/Gorham/Groveton lost their main economic engines which was papermaking and 40 jobs just won’t fix our dilemma. What made matters worse were our short sighted politicians who are clueless as to what to do about economic issues besides yelling “jobs, jobs, jobs”, jumped at the chance to make us believe that they had a solution. They did this by supporting a make believe company with a make believe promoter  selling a questionable project. The dynamic duo of Gallus & Grenier continue to make believe that this project is where our future economic success rests. In fact, if it wasn’t for corporate welfare in the form of tax credits and other special corporate tax loopholes and a utility with captive customers, the project would never have seen the light of day. We have to twist and distort the facts in order to justify projects such as this and, it is one of the many reasons this country doesn’t have a comprehensive energy policy and is on the brink of economic collapse. Building multimillion dollar energy contraptions that operate at 25% efficiencies can’t stand close scrutiny; they have to be veiled in false outcomes and promises. These propped up projects are too often promoted by politicians who don’t even understand the fundamentals of the technology they’re endorsing or the questionable economic impact on communities. The Laidlaw/Berlin Station project is a very large biomass plant proposed to be built in the middle of a residential area (smart idea?) and, what is sinking it is the collapse of the multi level contorted, distorted and twisted schemes required to make it viable. It can only be viable at the expense of others, be they the IPP’s, captive PSNH customers, our natural resources, residents of Berlin and the taxpayers. If we need to understand why our country is in economic distress, we only have to study the dynamics of the Laidlaw/PSNH/Berlin Station project and we’ll have a better understanding of how corporate and political arrogance, collusion and deceit is ruining this country. It was a sad day for Berlin when Mr. Bartoszek in his fancy business suit left Wall Street to walk on our Main Street. He wasn’t the first or the last snake oil salesman to seduce us with the promises of economic prosperity. If and when the wrecking ball takes down what remains of the pulp mill, maybe then we can have a conversation about the economic future of Berlin, a conversation that was interrupted by the Laidlaw fantasy and only made real by PSNH and a handful of opportunistic locals.

Comments

[warren,]

The Answer is.... This Project is on the Back Burner for now, Unlike the Old CPD/ Gestomp ( SIC ) Jalopy that never got past the Starting Line. It's Definately Dead... The Funeral has come and gone. My Apologies to that Mysteriously Annonomous ( and Naive ) Letter writer of last week. lol. I'm not too sure Cllr. McCue would like being referred to in the manner You use.
But then again, Your Generation never did have any Respect, Rocky. I doubt that Some of them deserve Social Security Benefits at all.

[Wing Nut]

A wise man once told me; "The biomass project is not DEAD until the boiler and stack are torn down."

I have to agree. As long as that asset is still there then I don't believe we've seen the end of the line for this project. Too many politicians (and PSNH) working behind the scenes for it to die that quickly (IMO).

Take care,
WN

[Rocky]

You're right WN. When I wrote the last post, reading my notes about the various issues and statements, I felt like a garbage picker. When you have a list of all that's been said and has taken place over the past 5 years, you can almost smell the stench of corruption, greed and self interest. To hell with our community, to hell with principles, to hell with doing what's right. I can just imagine what goes on in Washington, politics seems to bring out the evil in people.

[Rocky]

WN, when I reflected on my last comment, I changed my mind. It's all about money and money corrupts the politicians. So I guess the old saying that "money is the root of all evil" is right on.

[Rocky]

Interesting comment on I-HUB by a Laidlaw/LLEG shareholder: I think that may be the direction this company is headed. Unlike many here, I realized my investment was probably lost when the suspension was announced. The interesting thing is how long people defended Mike even as he ran this company into the ground--it seems though that his "defense team" has finally had a breakthrough into reality, judging by their silence today.

My only hope now is that MBB has done something bad enough in the eyes of the SEC to warrant an indictment, so he can share in the misery that was created by his hand.

[jon]

http://www.nhpr.org/berlin-biomass-deal-too-good-developer-give-competitor-says

[jon]

perspective from last print journalist

"I heard the news of the death of the Laidlaw Berlin Biopower project on NHPR last week, and the information has been trickling in ever since. I’m not sure what to think. I have always understood both sides of that argument — some people for it, some against, based on whether they needed jobs now or could wait for some better future down the road. Now it’s gone, the federal prison is on hold, and the state prison survived after some threats by the department of corrections. Where is Berlin headed? I wish I knew. I’m not there nearly as much as I was, but I still make it up there far more than I ever did before I worked there. And I still think about how to get back there. What will it be? Who will work there? I think it’s like most working class places — dying out. The fact is the socioeconomic strata that the mill supported has evaporated in the United States. Portland, Maine, and Portsmouth are clear examples of what happens next: they get turned into upscale apartments that the former working class residents can’t afford. Will that happen in Berlin? It already is, but it hasn’t become a trend yet. We’ll see if it reaches that tipping point. And we’ll see how the people that trend edges out react. It looks to be an interesting time, for sure…
No Comments
Erik Eisele, July 6th 2011 | Posted in Berlin NH, economy, Reporting "

[warren,]

Oh Yeah, And I have a great song by Aerosmith for ya Jon. How is that $119,900 ranch on Riverside Heights doing? I'll bet that there would be no takers even if the land under it was
included in the price! Built in 2009? and still unsold...?

Oy Vey!

[jon]

While it might appear on the surface to be a little late, the NHSEC has approved the changes made to the Berlin station project ownership structure, wood supplier etc.

[jon]

...chapter 23

New developer interested in Berlin
By Barbara Tetreault
Jul 13, 2011 12:00 am

BERLIN -- With the future of the Berlin Station biomass plant in doubt, another developer is interested in Berlin for a plant that would convert biomass into ultra-clean synthetic fuel as well as produce electricity and process heat.
William Fortune of Industrial Consultants Inc., of Lee, said unlike a convention biomass plant is which is about 35 percent efficient, his proposed plant would be 85 percent efficient.
The plant would use a gasification process to convert the biomass to ultra-clean synthetic diesel and jet fuel. Fortune said the U.S. military, for one, has indicated its intention to use renewable fuels.
While renewable fuel is the primary product, the process allows for the co-production of electricity. Fortune said he projects producing 65 megawatts of electricity for the grid.
The plant would also produce steam which could be used for district heating or to run a commercial greenhouse operation.
As designed, Fortune said the plant would consume about 650,000 tons of biomass a year - about 100,000 tons less than projected for the Berlin Station. The plant would also be able to use sewer sludge, construction debris, and municipal solid waste as its fuel source.
Fortune said the plant would employ about 18 people directly but would create many more jobs in the forest industry. The plant would have low emissions and, because it uses renewable biomass, would be considered low carbon emitting.
Because of its efficiency, Fortune said the plant would be able to sell its power and heat at market rates.
Fortune has developed a business plant that calls for constructing two such plants - one in the southern part of the state and one in the northern section. The business plan notes that raising the funds to construct two plants simultaneously will be a challenge. The plan notes there are tax advantages if they can break ground in 2011.
The business plan described its mission as multi-fold - “to bring prosperity to the local community, provide an excellent return for our investors, yet at the same time set the highest standards for environmental stewardship”.
Fortune was a production engineer for 16 years at the Portsmouth Navel Shipyard where he developed, purchased, and maintained numerous equipment and facilities for the overhaul of nuclear submarines. He started Industrial Consultants Inc., in 1983. Also part of the management team is Bill Rollins, the president of NovelEdge Technologies and a consulting engineer in equipment design specializing in the power industry. Rollins has a partnership agreement with the Department of Energy for the development of advanced processes for the production of synthetic fuels.

[jon]

William Fortune attended and spoke at one of the NHPUC hearings held on the Laidlaw project. He was in opposition to that project due to his own interest in development within the area and due to his claims to significantly higher efficiency;

Bill Fortune, President
INDUSTRIAL
CONSULTANTS
INC________________________________________________
29 GEORGE BENNETT ROAD, LEE, NH 03861 603 365 0251
wfortuneco.com indust.consult@rcn.com
NEW HAMPSHIRE CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS
Industrial Consultants Inc (ICI) is developing plants at numerous sites that utilize state-of-the-art technology for the conversion of renewable and waste feedstocks into ultra-clean synthetic fuels, electricity, and district/process heat. Energy utilization approaches 85%.
The primary product produced by our facilities is renewable transportation fuel (F-T Diesel) that can be a drop-in replacement for diesel and jet fuel. Our business plan is based upon selling the fuel at $ 92/barrel.
In addition to producing renewable fuels, our facilities employ advanced gasification that is highly integrated with the patented and patent pending technology developed by NovelEdge Technologies, LLC and ICI. This allows for the co-production of generous amounts of renewable electricity. This electricity can be sold locally, sold under contract to utilities and power companies, and sold to the grid at prevailing prices. Our business plan is based upon selling electricity at $0.055/kwh.
Since our highly efficient combined cycle power plant produces a great deal of steam, it is perfect for a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) application. Therefore, waste heat from our facility and low-pressure steam from our turbine(s) can be directed to a process or district heating application, providing renewable energy to offset fossil fuel use, thus lowering airborne emissions and reducing greenhouse gases.
This more efficient plant arrangement allows us to increase revenues by 50% or more, while at the same time offsetting the use of fossil fuels for power production and process heat. Due to our highly efficient arrangement, these added products (electricity and heat) allow us to meet our debt obligations without the need for subsidies or tax credits. So while other plants endure economic hardship when the subsidies disappear1, our plants continue to operate and provide a healthy return on investment.
In addition to biomass, waste streams such as sewer sludge, scrap plastics, construction debris, and selected municipal solid waste can be used as feedstocks, thus reducing the need for landfills.
Five (5) sites are under consideration, including large universities, industrial parks and towns that want district heating. Plans include putting commercial greenhouses on the same site, so in addition to heat and power we can provide Carbon Dioxide to those greenhouses.
The State of New Hampshire air permit people indicated that with our exemplary efficiency, and our low environmental impact, we expect these plants to become the template for biomass/waste conversion plants in the United States.
NovelEdge Company History
The company has active patents and pending patents that cover a range of combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) energy applications. Since the company’s inception, numerous entities, including Black & Veatch, GE, Stone & Webster, EPRI, DOE, and others, have examined the NovelEdge processes and have affirmed the thermodynamics and potential economic benefits they represent. Recently several independent Power Producers (IPP’s) have selected NovelEdge for projects they are considering for development. However, due to poor market conditions, these projects have yet to move forward. The IPP developers included Orion Power, DTE, Great River Energy, Cinergy, and others. In 2004, Mr. Rollins presented a cooperative paper with Fluor on the cost and emissions benefits of NovelEdge Technology in IGCC plants. This paper and presentation is available at the Gasification website: http://www.gasification.org/. Please refer to the Library page.
In 2005, NovelEdge Technologies, LLC was added to the ITM Oxygen team. ITM (Ion Transport Membrane) Oxygen is a $95 million DOE development project lead by Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. It utilizes ceramic membranes in lieu of a cryogenic process to separate oxygen from air. NovelEdge Technologies, LLC received a $180,000 consulting contract and become a key contributor to the ITM Oxygen program. The NovelEdge combined cycle technology has distinct synergies with the ITM Oxygen process. In 2008, a second consulting contract for $165,000 was executed.
In 2008, with assistance from DOE/NETL, Mr. Rollins completed an analysis of Coal/Biomass-to-Liquids (CBTL) facilities when integrated with the NovelEdge combined cycle process. The results were very positive, and indicate that a step change in capital cost, efficiency, and emissions can be achieved through this integration. This new technology can make clean coal with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) affordable. NovelEdge signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NETL to further refine this concept. This new aspect of NovelEdge Technology is patent pending and will lead to future license earnings. This integrated plant, even with Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), will be more efficient and less costly than conventional plants that include no CCS at all.
NovelEdge is currently working with a consortium in the Northeast to develop projects that utilize this advanced biomass-to-liquids/electrical production technology.
Industrial Consultants Inc Company History
Industrial Consultants Inc grew out of William Fortune’s project management and conceptual design of the test and overhaul facilities of the largest military machine shop East of the Mississippi. The test facility is used to operationally test hydraulic components, lube oil, sea water, and high pressure hydraulic pumps and was used as a model for all other Navel test facilities. Most of the testing was accomplished via remote control.
The company was incorporated in 1982 to sub-contract parts of the construction of the machine shop, while also provide consulting services to the prime contractor.
After the machine shop and test facilities were completed the company engaged in design and construction of many heavy industrial and commercial contracts.
W. Fortune & Co was organized to do residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps and other various HVAC projects.
Business Objective
The objective of Industrial Consultants Inc is to construct facilities that provide community, environmental, and economic benefit.
Our facilities provide local benefit by providing jobs in the biomass industry to loggers and farmers (growing energy crops). In addition, we create highly skilled opportunities for workers at our facilities. Other ancillary jobs such as fuel transportation and maintenance services are also created. With our process heat integration providing cost effective energy to the region, local businesses can remain competitive and retain jobs.
Our state-of-the-art facility utilizes gasification and gas cleanup technology from the chemical and petrochemical industries to eliminate the vast majority of contaminants and pollution. In addition to low emissions of criteria pollutants, our plants are low carbon emitting facilities, since we use renewable feedstocks.
Due to the efficiency of our plant design, coupled with the steadily rising petroleum prices, our plant, although expensive compared to conventional wood-burning plants, provides an excellent return on investment.
So our mission is multifold; to bring prosperity to the local community, provide an excellent return for our investors, yet at the same time set the highest standards for environmental stewardship.
Industry Survey
Many organizations, including the Sierra Club, Conservation Groups, loggers, woodchip producers, economic development groups and others, have indicated that they will support our efforts and some have asked us to consider building a plant in their area.
Opportunities and challenges
Our challenge is to identify and apply for as many grants as possible. We plan to work with a newly formed State Legislative Committee studying the gasification of construction debris
Our opportunities lie in our ability to construct as many plants as there are available feedstocks.
Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Not only are our energy plants highly efficient, we use feedstocks that are waste products, such as woodchips that are generated from such activities as land clearing, lumbering, power line clearing and forest management. We have available enough biomass that is presently being put into landfills to support at least two additional plants in New Hampshire alone.
Although we will start with sustainable feedstocks and hope to sell our output at a higher price, we do not need, in the future to use sustainable feedstocks to make these plants economically viable.
These feedstocks not only meet the State and Federal Sustainable Criteria, but also reduce the need for landfills and their resulting production of methane, ground water contamination potential, odors and unsightliness.
We have no competition. There are no other processes or plant designs known that are as versatile and efficient (we are about 85 % and climbing). Our nearest competitors are those that burn biomass at about 25 % efficiency and emit more than 70% more pollutants to the atmosphere. We also don’t require government or ratepayer subsidies to maintain profitability, even though these plants cost $ 259,000,000.00
Business Plan Timetable
There are presently several Federal tax advantages for producing electricity from Sustainable sources if we break ground in 2011. Estimates range from $ 22 million per plant to $ 50 million.
This North East area is desperate for the development of jobs and the preservation of our Green environment. We need to start development this spring.
Several paper mills have closed in Maine and New Hampshire and those towns are looking for new industries TODAY. In addition three (3) wood burning power plants plan to close because the State of NH is planning to eliminate the Renewable Energy Credits for wood burner.
The engineering firm that we are negotiating concludes that we can be in production in 9 quarters.
Market Differentiation Data
Our synthetic diesel fuel; no sulfur, low NOx: $ 113.50/barrel or $ 2.70/gallon
New York Harbor ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) futures: $ 113.50/barrel or $ 2.70/gallon
Our electricity: $ 0.055/KWH
Our competitor biomass burning plants: $ 0.08 – 0.12
Natural gas and expected shale gas fired plants $ 0.050 – 0.060
Our steam: $ 15/million BTU’s
Using natural gas for heating: $ approx. $ 15/million BTU’s
Contracts:
Feedstock prices have been determined by surveying many businesses in Maine and New Hampshire. Feedstocks are available at $ 23 to 28/ton for green (not dried) waste woodchips (we used $ 30/ton). New Hampshire landfills are charging air dried landfill scrap (construction debris that we can use) up to $ 90/ton and some landfill scrap is being hauled to Central Maine, costing over $ 30/ton.
Enough scrap is available for two plants if we charge $30/ton. Note that the scrap is 80% dry while the chips are only 50 % dry. This is equivalent to $48/ton or a savings to us of $ 78/ton.
Suppliers are willing to sign contracts within 6 months of plant operations.
If the military and the EPA forced purchase of synthetic diesel is available we will make contracts with them. At this time it is estimated that we can sell our diesel at 1.5 to 1.7 times market prices.
Marketing collateral
All of our outputs can be sold at or below market prices. We will be paid to produce electricity at the going market prices even when we do not supply power to the grid. This is because we included money in our business plan to join the “pool” of low cost producers and we are a base load facility.
William Fortune, President, Industrial Consultants Inc
[1] http://biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2011/02/08/rin-tin-tin-will-the-rins-mechanism-save-the-day-power-biofuels-to-new-heights

[jon]

Note this company talks about their plants, then focuses on "a plant". Sounds like more of an experimental laboratory than a plant. It will be interesting for me to find out how many plants this company has up and running.

[jon]

In speaking with William Fortune this a.m. his company does not currently operate or own any of these plants.

[warren,]

Sounds like the CoLocator has gone Public....Ole Piggy aint goin away Rocky!!!!! LoLoLololo.

[wood burner]

Wood burners deny snuffing Berlin biomass plan
Union Leader

By SARA YOUNG-KNOX - Union Leader Correspondent

BERLIN — Six wood-burning power plants in the state deny charges they are responsible for a breakdown in negotiations with the developers of a proposed larger biomass plant in Berlin.

Cate Street Capital, the developers, accused them a week ago of making extravagant demands that scuttled the talks and their efforts to secure financing for the proposed $275 million project known as Berlin Station.

Cate Street, Public Service of New Hampshire, and state officials were working with the six independent power producers to try to work out a deal that would get them to drop their appeal of PSNH’s power-purchase agreement with Berlin Station.

Cate Street, through spokesman Scott Tranchemontagne, went public after the talks failed and said the six plants wanted more than the 20month agreement that he said PSNH had offered.

Terry Williams, president and chief executive officer of EWP Renewable Corp., said Tuesday that his company never received an offer from PSNH.

Williams said his company was under the impression that there would be more negotiations, focusing on what would be equitable. He said of a June 28 meeting, “I showed up to discuss the issues.”

“We have not walked away from any negotiations,” he said. He said that there had been one-on-one talks between each plant and the other stakeholder, with a discussion of each the party’s individual circumstances.

Williams would also not comment on whether talks are ongoing.

Mike O’Leary, plant manager at Bridgewater Power, said the six plants and PSNH were negotiating in good faith. “In fact,” he said in a statement, “it was Cate Street Capital that caused the breakdown of negotiations by abruptly withdrawing from talks that we thought were proceeding positively. It appears that they are more interested in creating scapegoats than in finding a solution to this very real and big problem for New Hampshire’s economy and environment.”

Tranchemontagne fired back in a statement Tuesday night.

“It serves no one’s interest to respond to the (independent power producers’) false and personal attacks on members of our team,” he said. “The basic facts of the negotiations are undisputed and corroborated by multiple sources. The IPPs asked for power-purchase agreements from PSNH in exchange for dropping their NH Supreme Court challenge to Berlin Station’s approval by the NH Public Utilities Commission. The power purchase agreements were offered to the IPPs and they did not sign them.”

Gov. John Lynch was among those who weighed in last week on the negotiations, saying through a spokesman, Colin Manning, that not all the independent power producers that came to the bargaining table were willing to work for a compromise.

At last week’s Berlin City Council meeting, Mayor Paul Grenier said the company had until July 15 to close the deal. He charged that it was greed that put a stop to the project, since, he said, the independent power producers already had what they were looking for.

The state Public Utilities Commission previously approved a 20-year agreement for PSNH to buy power from Berlin Station.

The six smaller plants challenged the PUC order, but the state denied their motion for a rehearing. The plants also sought an appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

The smaller biomass companies are Bridgewater Power Company L.P., Pinetree Power Inc., Pinetree Power-Tamworth Inc., Springfield Power LLC, Whitefield Power and Light Company, and Indeck Energy-Alexandra.

Bridgewater is owned by Public Service Enterprise Group of New Jersey; the Pinetree plants are owned by GDF Suez of Paris, France; Whitefield and Springfield Power are owned by Korea East-West Power Company (EWP) ; and Indeck Alexandria is owned by Indeck Energy Inc. of Illinois.

[Rocky]

It's obvious that the old saying that; "Figures don't lie, but liars can figure" is part of this equation. The bigger they are the bigger the lies they usually tell and, what they get away with. So were to believe that PSNH and their agents are telling the truth when in fact they've been doing their best to put the IPP's out of business for years. Is the Pope Catholic? Do bears shit in the woods? How naive and stupid do they think we are? Take a real close look folks, this is the way Corporate America conducts business, they buy those they can and bull shit the rest of us. This is a lesson on how corporate democracy works and why we don't fix healthcare, energy dependence and other major problems.

[warren,]

Welcome to the Real World....The One Outside of the Classroom and Off Campus, the only places where Utopian Socialism works perfectly. So Would you like some cheese with that Rocky?

[warren,]

Does PSNH and the Northern Pass now have Competition? A better Project that is willing to cooperate with ordinary people? Why will PSNH and NP NOT Bury their line? This option is not even a consideration for them. Why?

New Developments – Different Project

Yesterday, Northeast Energy Link (NEL) filed the attached petition with FERC for approval of the financing structure for a 230-mile underground cable carrying 1100MW of electricity, mainly from wind, from Orrington Maine to Tewksbury Mass. NEL, the project name, is a joint venture of Bangor Hydro (parent company, Emera) and National Grid, with First Wind as a potential customer (power supplier). The line would be open to other generators in the US and Canada as well.

You can see NEL's proposed route map here: http://northeastenergylink.com/documents/default.aspx

There are brief technical details here: http://northeastenergylink.com/technical_description/default.aspx

Project details are scarce at this point, but already there are three obvious contrasts to Northern Pass:

Cost. First Wind, NEL's power supplier, generates wind power, more expensive to produce than hydro power. Yet First Wind doesn't think it's "too expensive" to bury the lines. Hydro-Quebec, sole hydro power supplier for Northern Pass, says it's too expensive to bury the lines. The contrast may stem from how much profit each supplier wants to make.
Route and eminent domain. NEL would rent existing transportation corridors from the states through which it passes, ME, NH (seacoast), MA. There is no mention of the need for eminent domain seizure of private property. Northern Pass would need to seize up to 66 miles of ROWs from unwilling property owners and would stay on its own antiquated ROWs as much as possible.
Technical feasibility. NEL's route passes through the same basic geological matrix as Northern Pass does. NEL finds it technically feasible to bury cable. Northern Pass does not. NEL would use already "softened" transportation corridors; Northern Pass would use its "unsoftened" antiquated ROWs and unbroken ground.
NEL will be subject to scrutiny, PSNH/NEL will have to account for its negative contrasts to NEL, and there's guaranteed to be a huge effort by NP to rebut the implications of NEL and to distract attention from the obvious contrasts.

[Rocky]

Another interesting comment by a Laidlaw Investor; "Do you believe Berlin could survive without a PPA? Apparently it was determined early on the Berlin project couldn't remain viable with its output and operational costs by selling only to the spot market.

They only survived with the 20 year deals they had that ended a few years back.

And apparently they wish to continue to survive as companies by seeking another 20 yr PPA as favorable as given Berlin. Else they would have already announced their intention to fold, instead of going to the courts.

Again and again couldn't it have been anticipated the IPPs would not sit still for an uneven playing field? With the Berlin project continuing its evolution a few years ago, just as the IPP previous PPAs were expiring? Short sighted politics."

[Rocky]

SOME OF THE INVESTORS ARE STARTING TO SEE THE LIGHT. Here's another quote from I-HUB LLEG; "What I see is an industry that is obsolete coming out of the starting gate. Doesn't matter if it's Berlin or Whitefield. Both need a PPA guaranteed price above spot market rates to survive. Both can not survive for decades on the open market without what amounts to a State sponsered subsidy.

The issue for the Koreans isn't that Whitefield is obsolete relative to the Berlin project. But rather both projects need a PPA to operate for profit, and they were being asked to take a 20 month PPA, while their new competitor gets a 20 yr PPA."

[jon]

All of these biomass plants are not profitable without power purchase agreements. The highest and best use of our trees in fundamental parts of the 2025 initiative is to offer power purchase agreements in particular to those plants that have less output and coincidentally less of a debt service and therefore less of a reliance on grants or other tax payer money and more synergies to increase their efficiencies. What is so complicated about logic?

[Rocky]

We shouldn't allow any plants over 15MW and only if there's use for the waste heat and efficiencies around 60% to 70%. C'mon Jon, logic? Money trumps logic or common sense all the time.

[jon]

money complicates logic, Rocky, doesn't it?

[wood burner]

WOW how the world turns!!!! FOR THE RECORD YOUR FOR IT???? Pressure????

Brungy

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Thursday, July 14, 2011 4:56:52 PM

Re: bearspread post# 98888

Post # of 98894

Okay, I'd believe $5M much more than $70M. I believe one poster here used to say $60M but we all know that makes no sense. And, by the way, I am in support of the project (just to set the record straight).

[Antonio Andolini]

As Cyndi Lauper sang, "It's all in the past,now, Money Changes Everything!"