Dive Brief:
- Northeast Utilities has big plans to add transmission capacity in New England to accommodate additional wind energy and capacity shortfalls.
- "We think that it is likely there will be significant additional transmission investment needed to maintain reliability," said Chief Operating Officer Lee Olivier during an earnings call Friday. "But it is too early to estimate how much that additional investment will be and exactly when it will occur."
- NU has about $4 billion in transmission investments planned through 2017, including the $1.4 billion, 1,200-megawatt North pass project through New Hampshire to link Hydro-Quebec's grid with that of ISO New England.
Dive Insight:
NU has identified about 8,000 megawatts of nuclear and coal-fired generating capacity that may shut down as the region makes a concerted push to add natural gas plants and renewable power.