20070110Comment.pdf

01/10/2007 12: 38 FAX [phone]
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WESTERN CONSTRUCTION
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January 8, 2007
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
Box 83720
Boise, Idaho
83720-0074
FAX [phone]
RE: Wind Power Infrastructure Improvements
Dear Commissioners
I wish to voice my opinion on who pays for system upgrades to allow Wind
Generated Power to be connected to the grid.
Wind power can provide a minor amount power to the grid. The grid to be reliable
must continue to depend on the tradition combination of Hydro and thermal produced
power. The difficulty of embracing wind power is that it is highly variable depending on
the strength and duration ofthe wind. In the event that the wind stops or decreases in
velocity, the local utility must have the ability to immediately create power to replace the
power lost when the wind power stops. This is not easy to plan for.
I don t think it fair to subsidize the production of wind power by forcing the local
utility to upgrade the power grid to accept wind power. The local utility and the consumer
would be better off to use capital to make improvements to their system where the return
on investment would be greater.
Requiring the local utility to spend capital on improvements to accept wind power
simply subsidizes the generation of wind power at the expense of the consumer. Don t be
duped into the "something for nothing" myth wind power producers perpetuate. They
should be required to contribute to the true cost of adding their marginal contribution of
power to the grid.
A case can be made that wind power producers should be required to pay for
improvements to increase the capacity of traditional production. This would be required
due to the problem they create when they cannot produce or cause untimely interruptions
to the power grid. There s simply no free ride in the system.
Sincerely,
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Jack R. Snyder
2566 E. Plateau Drive
Boise, Idaho 83712
345~ 704 7