Dive Brief:
- ISO New England, the region's grid operator, announced that the region should be able to meet projected peak demand this summer.
- Demand is projected to peak at 26,660 MW, although if there is a heat wave, that could rise to 28,965 MW, the grid operator said.
- With energy efficiency bringing peak demand down by about 1,500 MW, ISO-NE can deploy demand response measures, additional generators, and import electricity from other states to ensure New England has a stable electricity supply over the hottest days of the year.
Dive Insight:
On June 1, the Boston's Salem Harbor power station will be brought offline, bringing capacity down by 585 MW. Although the New England can meet demand this year, the future is less certain, says ISO-NE COO Vamsi Chadalavada. "This retirement is the first in a series of expected large resource retirements in the coming years that will reduce the available generating capacity in New England, resulting in the need for new resources," he said.
A recent FERC order and ISO-NE tariff change to improve electric-gas coordination should help New England, whose generating fleet is reliant on natural gas, to get through the summer.
