IN DECEMBER, ISO New England issued its annual winter outlook and warned of the precarious state the region’s power system would be in if a prolonged, severe cold snap developed and our energy supply chain was disrupted. New England has well-documented natural gas pipeline constraints, while transported fuels used by generators, such as liquefied natural […]
Gordon van Welie
Posted inOpinion
Getting to yes on electricity transmission infrastructure
Second in a series ANY VISION of the future decarbonized power system is sure to include hundreds of wind turbines dotting the Atlantic Ocean to power homes and businesses across New England. While the eye is drawn to the blades spinning above the water, equally important to this vision is what’s going on under the […]
Posted inOpinion
Plotting the future of the region’s power grid
DRIVE AROUND MASSACHUSETTS and you’d be hard pressed not to see a home with solar panels. Wind turbines are spinning over the Berkshires and coastal communities, with more planned for off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. It’s no secret that the region’s power system is undergoing a significant change. To tackle the existential […]
Posted inOpinion
Climate change already causing power grid issues
IN THE WAKE of the Texas tragedy, when the extreme cold weather literally froze the power grid, took out electricity and fuel supplies, and wreaked havoc on millions of lives, questions have been raised about whether it could happen here in New England. At ISO New England, our number one priority is to maintain a […]
Posted inOpinion
Grid in the balance
ON THE FACE of it, New England’s power system is in good shape. Over nearly two decades, the region’s competitive wholesale electricity markets have attracted investment in the power plants and demand-side resources needed to meet consumer demand. Upgrades to the region’s high-voltage transmission system have vastly improved reliability, allowing power to move freely around the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Natural gas: Good news and bad news
in january 2011, extremely cold temperatures enveloped New England, and demand for natural gas soared. Why does demand for natural gas matter to ISO New England, which operates the regional electricity grid and manages the wholesale electricity markets? Because natural gas has become the dominant fuel used to generate electricity in our region. The story […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Catching the wind
More than 10 years ago, New England set out on the road to develop dynamic, competitive wholesale electricity markets that would create incentives for private investment in diverse sources of supply, transmission improvements, and new technologies to make the region’s electric system more efficient and its resources more cost-effective. Electric industry restructuring prompted a tremendous […]