ISO New England Watch

Is our grid operator really still angling for a new pipeline? (Read how ISO-NE describes itself and its roles.)

ISO New England put out a Regional Electricity Outlook on February 22, 2017, when winter prices looked like they could be set to skyrocket again (graph on the left). Turns out, that point where the graph ends was the winter peak – more of a blip, really.  But the graphic on the left has been widely reproduced to support the narrative that capacity constraints continue to cause price spikes.  We had to go digging on ISO-NE’s website to find out how last winter really played out.  It seems that the much feared “capacity constraints” are not really causing price spikes any more, thanks in part the updated Winter Reliability Program and recent market reforms at ISO New England.  A new pipeline project would clearly be overbuild.

Published commentaries on ISO New England and the push for gas:

2017-Oct-2: Lawmakers Hear Truths and Tales About Electricity, In Depth NH, by D. Maurice Kreis, Consumer Advocate, NH Office of the Consumer Advocate

2017-July-27: Question the independence of our electric grid operator, Boston Business Journal, by Eugenia Gibbons

2017-July-8 : The invisible hand of Gordon van Welie, Commonwealth Magazine, by Katy Eiseman

2015-Sept-11 : We don’t need Kinder Morgan’s pipeline, Commonwealth Magazine, by Vince Premus

2015-Apr-3 : Gordon Van Welie, do your job, Commonwealth Magazine, by Vince Premus

2015-Jan-3 : New gas pipelines can be avoided, Commonwealth Magazine, by Katy Eiseman