New England governors issue statement on regional energy affordability

On August 13, Governors Dannel Malloy of Connecticut, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, and Phil Scott of Vermont issued a statement on regional energy affordability and reliability in New England. The statement calls for coordinated efforts to keep electricity rates as affordable as possible and to advance solutions to the winter fuel security issue using tools within their jurisdiction. The statement was issued during the 42^nd Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers held in Stowe, Vermont.

The New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers signed four resolutions during the conference:

• Resolution 42-1: Resolution Concerning Adaptation
• Resolution 42-2: Resolution Concerning Energy Security and Affordability
• Resolution 42-3: Resolution Concerning Business and Trade
• Resolution 42-4: Resolution Concerning NAFTA and the Benefits of Cross-Border Trade

Among other things, the resolution concerning energy security and affordability:

• Acknowledges the importance of encouraging policies that diversify resources and target affordable clean energy deployment, including during peak energy periods, and enable energy storage technologies to participate in energy markets;
• Notes that system planners and operators should strengthen and diversify the generation resource mix and storage capabilities to reduce energy cost pressures and increase system resilience during periods of extended temperature extremes;
• Names onshore and offshore wind, large hydro, demand response, energy efficiency, and advanced battery and storage systems as types of clean energy resources necessary to serve winter peaks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
• Calls on the Northeast International Committee on Energy (NICE) to research policies to reduce barriers for energy storage and improve resource diversity and clean energy deployment for greater system resilience during periods of extended temperature extremes.

New Brunswick will host the next meeting of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in Saint John, New Brunswick in the summer of 2019.