Project 100 Selects Danbury Site Among Finalists For Renewable Fuel Cells

By John Voket

DANBURY — A 19.6 megawatt fuel cell project in Danbury is among 11 renewable energy finalists in the second round of Connecticut’s Project 100 initiative. If the project is selected for funding, it could begin contributing to clean energy output by sometime in 2008.

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), a ratepayer fund administered by Connecticut Innovations Inc, a quasi-public state authority, has screened and selected the 11 project finalists that will be considered for funding through the Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) and the United Illuminating Company (UI), under Round 2 of Project 100.

These electric distribution companies will review CCEF’s recommendations and perform additional analyses, leading to their selection of projects to receive long-term power purchase agreements. This was the second round of projects selected through Project 100, a first of its kind state program created by the Connecticut General Assembly to develop not less than 100 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy generation for the benefit of all Connecticut consumers.

Round 1 of Project 100 resulted in the electric distribution companies negotiating a long-term power purchase contract representing approximately 15 MW of new renewable generation.

The groundbreaking legislation that launched Project 100 was created because large renewable energy projects are difficult to finance without long-term contracts. Under the 2003 state energy act, Connecticut’s two major utilities are required to enter into long-term power purchase agreements with developers to purchase not less than 100 MW of Class I renewable energy.

Robert Babcock, president of Elemental Power Group (EPG), the company developing the Danbury and one Bridgeport site believes both facilities will increase the local tax base, provide added electrical supply in areas in which it is needed, and help to transform areas that have lost their industrial base.

“Projects such as our Bridgeport and Danbury facilities are just the beginning of a strategy to supplement our nation’s renewable portfolio of hydro, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal sources with a highly efficient urban renewable energy resource,” said Mr Babcock.

According to EPG’s website, fuel cells are devices that turn a fuel such as natural gas or methane into electricity by way of a chemical reaction, rather than by combustion. The process strips the hydrogen from the fuel and combines the hydrogen with oxygen through reaction with a chemical catalyst.

Consequently, the byproducts from the process are extremely clean and include water and heat.

One key advantage to using fuel cells is the “base-load” nature of the facility. This means that the electricity from such a facility is very reliably available and can be generated at almost any time.

Additionally, fuel cell plants are extremely quiet and compact, and can thus be placed in dense areas such as urban settings, not normally conducive to renewable energy, the website indicated. Mr Babcock said his company’s projects in Bridgeport and Danbury would each employ eight Fuel Cell Energy DFC 3000 generators.

The following projects representing a diversity of fuel sources and technologies were selected to be recommended to the electric distribution companies under the Round 2 competition:

A 7.9 megawatt fuel cell/turbo expander project by FuelCell Energy and Enbridge Inc in Milford.

A 29.9 megawatt landfill gas project by EMCOR Energy Services in South Norwalk.

A 30 megawatt biomass project by NuPower, LLC, and Decker Energy International Inc in Plainfield.

A 19.6 megawatt fuel cell project by Elemental Power Group in Danbury.

A 4.6 megawatt fuel cell project by EMCOR Energy Services in Stamford.

A 3 megawatt biomass project by Clearview Power, LLC, in East Canaan.

A 2.3 megawatt fuel cell project by EMCOR Energy Services in Waterbury.

A 19.6 megawatt fuel cell project by Elemental Power Group in Bridgeport.

A 13.7 megawatt fuel cell project by FuelCell Energy, Pure Power, LLC, and Pinpoint Power, LLC, in Bridgeport.

A 1 megawatt fuel cell project by UTC Power, LLC, in Wallingford.

A 27.8 megawatt biomass project by Clearview Power, LLC, in Bozrah.

In the implementation process, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund is charged with issuing requests for proposals (RFPs) from developers like EPG, and the initial screening and analysis to select projects that will benefit all Connecticut consumers. After the selection process, the best projects are forwarded to CL&P and UI for further review and contract negotiation.

Those given the “green light” through long-term contracts also receive funding from CCEF. Projects were first assessed and scored by the Evaluation Working Group, consisting of three external renewable-energy consultants and one CCEF staff member.

Working Group members scored projects based on cost to ratepayers, benefit to ratepayers, feasibility, and financial viability. Projects, along with their assessments and scores, were then reviewed by the six-member Steering Committee, consisting of representatives from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Connecticut Development Authority, Energy & Environmental Ventures, and Clean Energy Advisory Committee.

Projects on a “short list” identified by this committee were then evaluated by the Clean Energy Advisory Committee of Connecticut Innovations, with a final review and authorization of funding rendered by the Clean Energy Investment Committee of Connecticut Innovations.

“We were extremely pleased with the quality of the projects that were submitted to CCEF for consideration under the Round 2 competition,” said Timothy Bowles, chair of the Connecticut Clean Energy Advisory Committee. “It was a challenge to narrow down the field to the 11 that we selected, and it is our hope that the utilities will move forward with long-term contracts with all of these projects.”

“If all 11 projects are indeed launched, Connecticut’s citizens will benefit from the implementation of clean electricity generation on a significant scale,” he added

Jerome Peters, chair of the Project 100 Steering Committee, said it is encouraging to see the high level of innovation and excitement within the growing clean energy community in the state.

“I am confident that our thorough and objective vetting process allowed us to identify those projects that have the potential to provide the greatest level of fuel and technological diversity while minimizing the cost to Connecticut’s ratepayers.” Mr Peters said.

The CCEF promotes the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies; the creation of clean energy supply; and the demand for electricity from clean, renewable sources in Connecticut in order to strengthen the state’s economy, protect community health, improve the environment, and promote a secure energy supply for the state.

The funding for CCEF’s initiative comes from a surcharge on electric ratepayers’ utility bills.

Connecticut Innovations (CI) is a quasi-public organization dedicated to driving a vibrant, entrepreneurial, technology-based economy in Connecticut. CI stimulates high-tech growth by investing in early-stage Connecticut technology companies, university/industry research collaborations, technology transfer, and clean energy initiatives through the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. CI also fosters collaboration among government, business, nonprofit, and academic organizations to advance technology growth and promotes public policies consistent with CI’s mission.

For more information on CCEF, visit www.ctcleanenergy.com. For more information on CI, visit www.ctinnovations.com.