New England’s governors release six-state action plan to address energy infrastructure needs

 

The New England governors convened a Northeast Forum on Regional Energy Solutions on April 23, 2015, in Hartford, Connecticut, to discuss regional energy challenges and potential solutions. The forum’s public session included two panels, one focused on New England’s energy infrastructure challenges, and the other focused on regional collaboration to support energy infrastructure solutions.

Gordon van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, participated in the first panel, along with Richard Levitan, president of Levitan & Associates, Inc., and Elin Katz, Consumer Counsel for the State of Connecticut. The panel was moderated by Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Maine Governor Paul R. LePage, both pictured with van Welie below.

van Welie discussed the rapid transformation of the region’s generation fleet and the growth in energy efficiency and clean energy resources across the region. He also noted that the region will need additional electric transmission and natural gas infrastructure if the states want to access greater supplies of clean energy and alleviate constraints on the natural gas pipeline system. See van Welie’s remarks and slides.

After the public session, the governors of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont met privately to discuss their positions on the region’s energy infrastructure needs. New Hampshire’s governor was unable to attend, but sent top aides. After their private session, they released an official statement reaffirming their commitment to work together toward regional energy infrastructure solutions. The governors also released a six-state action plan for a “cleaner, more reliable and more affordable energy future.”