Recently, the New England Power Generators Association (NEPGA) filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding concerns it has with the design of ISO New England’s Forward Capacity Market. The complaint also includes several important comments from the trade group on the state of the regional energy market and its future reliability.
In the complaint, NEPGA states New England is facing an “impending reliability crisis” and that the regional energy market is in “distress” as the retirement of existing power plants is expected to create a “shortfall of more than 1500 megawatts in the next forward capacity auction,” which is a process ISO uses to incent development of assets needed for future energy needs.
NEPGA also states that absent changes to the market, it expects “the continuing retirement of economic resources, erosion of critical fuel diversity in the region, higher long term costs to consumers.”
We are pleased to see NEPGA is finally recognizing the significant challenges facing the regional energy market. We have made the case for more than two years that New England’s growing over-reliance on natural gas and the projected loss of 8000 megawatts of generation assets threatens the reliable operation of the grid and exposes customers to volatile prices and higher costs.
Northern Pass is a real and practical solution to the region’s energy challenges that will also bring direct and substantial economic benefits to New Hampshire. The project will deliver 1200 megawatts of clean, low-cost hydropower to New Hampshire, reducing energy costs and providing the region with much needed fuel diversity. Northern Pass stands alone as the only proposed source of new base load energy that is in a position to help the region meet its future energy needs.
