Disappeared News: Life of the Land saves your electric bill

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Life of the Land saves your electric bill

by Larry Geller

When Henry Curtis wins one of his amazing victories, he celebrates with a colorful email.

I’m glad that we have Henry on our side. Please visit his website and support Life of the Land.

So here is his message, reproduced in full living color.

PUC DENIES HECO’S AMENDED BIOFUEL CONTRACT WITH IMPERIUM

Life of the Land is pleased that the Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission, after carefully weighing all the testimony and documentation in Docket No. 2007-0346, has DENIED HECO’s Amended Biofuel Contract with Imperium Renewables in favor of transparency and public interest.

In HECO's Opening Brief, filed on March 2, 2007. HECO and the Consumer Advocate agreed:

"[HECO] will initiate a solicitation process for a biofuel provider in 2006 with the selection of a biofuel provider and completion of a contract by the end of 2007.

This process will. among other criteria, require that the winning bidder be able to commit to the company, the regulators and the public that it has reliable sources for fuel that can meet the volumes necessary to reliably operate [CT-1] when operational, which is expected to be in the summer of 2009. This requirement includes demonstrating that a vibrant, multi-sourced national and international market supply exists in such fuels."

“It is common knowledge that Imperium Renewables has been struggling to stay afloat,” said Henry Curtis, Executive Director of Life of the Land, an intervenor in the proceedings.

The amended contract would have shifted many costs from Imperium onto the ratepayers during the worst economic crisis since the depression.

Today, Wednesday, August 5, 2009, the PUC ruled:

“...the Amended Contract limits Imperium's potential liability for failure to perform, but HECO failed to provide credible evidence that such a provision, which substantially shifted risk from Imperium to HECO and its ratepayers, was necessary." Given the substantial amendments to the Original Contract, which were not subject to a competitive bidding process (or some other process that would provide the commission with some assurance that the amended terms are reasonable), the commission finds that HECO failed to demonstrate that the Amended Contract is in the public interest...”

Henry is typically the only one representing the public in these difficult hearings. In this case, he has saved us all a potential upward spike in our electric bills.