Vermont Public Utility Commission Approves Ryegate Associates' Plans to Increase Plant Efficiency

The Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) has issued an order approving Ryegate Associates' plans to increase the efficiency of its Ryegate Plant in Ryegate, Vermont. The commission determined that Ryegate Associates has satisfied the first scheduled obligation for the efficiency requirement under 30 V.S.A. § 8009(k)(2). The order addresses the collocation and efficiency requirements obligating Ryegate Associates to increase the plant's overall efficiency by at least 50% relative to the 12-month period preceding July 1, 2022.

Key Takeaways:

• The Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved Ryegate Associates' plans to increase the efficiency of its Ryegate Plant in Ryegate, Vermont.
• Ryegate Associates has satisfied the first scheduled obligation for the efficiency requirement under 30 V.S.A. § 8009(k)(2).
• The Ryegate Plant's overall efficiency will be increased by at least 50% relative to the 12-month period preceding July 1, 2022.
• Ryegate Associates plans to install a low-temperature belt dryer at the Ryegate Plant, using recovered thermal heat to dry green wood chips without any additional heating source.
• The proposed heat recovery system will involve the displacement of fossil-fuel use for the sustainable production of a product or service, reducing the amount of fossil fuel-fired drying capacity needed to serve the market.
• The commission found that Ryegate Associates' proposal meets the requirements of sections 8009(k)(2)(A) and (B), with a signed contract for the construction of a facility that would recover waste heat from the Ryegate Plant and a certification by a qualified professional engineer indicating that the plant will meet the efficiency requirement.
• Stowe Electric and Green Mountain Power Corporation supported the proposal, while GMP raised concerns about the impact on the Ryegate Plant's capacity factor and fuel supply.
• Ryegate Associates argued that its thermal heat recovery system satisfies the "beneficial purpose" requirement of Section 8009(k)(2) by displacing fossil fuel use for the sustainable production of a product or service.

Statistics:

• 50%: the minimum increase in overall efficiency required by the collocation and efficiency requirements.
• 12-month period: the period preceding July 1, 2022, during which the Ryegate Plant's overall efficiency was measured.
• 2023: the year in which Ryegate Associates filed signed contracts and a certification with the commission.
• August 2, 2023: the date by which comments on Ryegate Associates' filing were requested.
• 2032: the year by which the obligation of each Vermont retail electricity provider to purchase the provider's pro rata share of the baseload renewable power portfolio requirement extends.

Sources:

• Vermont Public Utility Commission. (2023, December 11). STATE OF VERMONT PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION Case No. 23A-2194 Ryegate Associates filing addressing Act 155 efficiency requirment Order entered: 12/11/2023 O RDER ADDRESSING RYEGATE PLANT EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENT.