Massachusetts DPU issues order on capacity needs in Boston area

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued a determination on March 15, 2013, that National Grid and NSTAR should not be required to enter into long-term contracts with developers of electricity generation in Northeast Massachusetts/Greater Boston (NEMA/Boston). The DPU ruled that such a move would only be justified with convincing evidence “that the competitive market had failed and that there were imminent reliability concerns,” conditions that do not exist at this time.

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ISO-NE CEO testifies on gas/electric industry coordination at US House Energy and Power hearing

Updated on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 11:21AM by ISO New England

On March 19, Gordon van Welie, president and chief executive officer of ISO New England, testified about the challenges associated with the region’s dependence on natural gas to produce electricity at a hearing called by the US House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power.

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March 1 marks 10th anniversary of “Standard Market Design”

Ten years ago, on March 1, 2003, ISO New England replaced the preliminary wholesale electricity market rules, procedures, and operating systems first introduced in the region in 1999 with what we called Standard Market Design (SMD). Based on our experience and that of other ISOs running electricity markets, SMD significantly expanded and refined New England’s marketplace. It added new features such as the Day-Ahead Energy Market and locational marginal pricing that gave market participants better tools to protect against price volatility and also revealed the true cost of producing and supplying power at various locations on the power system. Today, we use the same system to price wholesale electricity in New England—a testament to the hard work and careful consideration that resulted from the cooperative and robust stakeholder process. Of course, we’ve continued to build on SMD’s foundation, enhancing our suite of markets to ensure an efficient and reliable power system in New England. View the 2013 Wholesale Markets Project Plan for a look at what market enhancements are planned or underway for this year.

President Obama issues cybersecurity executive order; initiatives to include energy sector

During his State of the Union Address on February 12, US President Barack Obama announced that he had signed a long-anticipated executive order focused on strengthening cybersecurity for the nation’s critical digital infrastructure. The White House also released a Presidential Policy Directive to provide additional clarity.

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Article by ISO-NE CEO on energy-efficiency forecast featured in Public Utilities Fortnightly

The January issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly includes an article by Gordon van Welie, ISO New England’s president and CEO, that outlines how the ISO developed the first multi-state, long-term energy-efficiency forecast in the nation last year. The forecast, which was developed through an intensive stakeholder process, found that state-sponsored energy-efficiency programs are expected to spend $5.7 billion on energy-efficiency measures between 2015 and 2021. That will result in an annual average savings of 1,343 gigawatt-hours of electricity consumption and 206 megawatts of peak demand. A subscription is required to view the full article.

SPI News: Cost/benefit information of potential market responses to address natural gas dependence

Two memos are now available that examine the potential benefits and costs associated with options that could help mitigate grid reliability risks related to the region’s reliance on natural gas. The memos provide further information to regional stakeholders as they consider proposed solutions and market rule changes to address this challenge.

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