BPA orders NW wind farms to curtail production
Monday, April 30, 2012
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Bonneville Power Administration has ordered Pacific Northwest wind farms to cut production twice in recent days because it has a surplus of power from hydroelectric dams.
The agency, which manages much of the power grid in the Northwest, confirms it issued the order during the early-morning hours of Sunday and Monday, times when demand is low.
The action renews a dispute from last spring, when the BPA curtailed wind turbines because the water from a large mountain snowpack left the region with more hydropower than the electrical grid could handle and BPA could export.
Wind farm companies filed a complaint with federal regulators accusing the BPA of breaking contracts and discriminating against them.
The sides have been trying to reach a compromise, but without success.
