Battle continues between Fulcrum Bioenergy and NV Energy

September 15, 2018 |

In Nevada, NV Energy filed a request with state legislators to require Fulcrum Bioenergy to pay “impact fees” for Fulcrum’s biofuel plant which has applied to purchase power from an alternative electric provider. The impact fees include long-term recurring charges related to renewable energy projects and a $1.179 million lump sum payment. Fulcrum’s waste to biofuels project broke ground in May and filed its exit application with the utility in June. This is allowed by Nevada law, but usually only after paying an “impact fee assessed by the state’s Public Utilities Commission to shield other ratepayers from higher costs,” according to The Nevada Independent.

“PUC staff issued an analysis in August finding Fulcrum’s proposed exit application would not result in any financial impact to NV Energy or its customers, and that an impact fee wasn’t needed,” according to The Nevada Independent. “It also wrote that a “prudent utility” would be able to plan ahead and avoid any adverse impact as the company isn’t expected to come online until September 2019.”

However, NV Energy executive Shawn Elicegui wrote just last week that the utility should be entitled to various fees and recurring charges if the biofuels company exit application is accepted by the PUC, including a one-time $1.179 million charge for “lost portfolio optimization opportunities” for the utility’s transmission system, a separate “impact fee” payment and various recurring charges including payments related to the planned retirement of the coal-fired Valmy power plant.

Category: Fuels

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