ISO-NE annual open board meeting showcases 2025 Regional System Plan

Forecasted increases in electricity use and expected changes in the region’s resource mix were the focus of the Regional System Plan public meeting and open meeting of the ISO New England Board of Directors on Nov. 5 in Boston.

Al McBride, vice president, System Planning, presented the draft 2025 Regional System Plan (RSP25), a look at the 10-year horizon for New England’s power grid. McBride’s presentation included annual electricity and peak demand forecasts, an overview of recently completed and planned upgrades to the transmission system, and a look at the types of resources the ISO expects will provide energy to the grid in the coming years.

In response to a board member’s question about uncertainty surrounding the future of offshore wind, McBride touted the ISO’s track record of adapting to different possible futures, highlighting its longer-term transmission planning process, and the exploration of land-based wind as an economic alternative to offshore wind in its longer-range studies. “These efforts show we have a planning process that is nimble and can respond to changing priorities,” he said.

Board member Caren Anders, chair of the System Planning and Reliability Committee (SPARC), introduced McBride with opening remarks highlighting the importance of system planning and the RSP. “These plans don’t just sit on a shelf,” she said. “They have real-world influence and impact, and have helped inform the $13 billion of regional investment in New England’s transmission infrastructure since 2002.”

In his last board of directors meeting as president and CEO before his retirement this December, Gordon van Welie reflected on a 25-year career with ISO New England, including successes and lessons learned. He highlighted New England’s wholesale energy markets as an achievement he is particularly proud of, noting they are “best-in-class and highly competitive, with significant efficiencies.”

In his discussion of the ISO’s multi-year roadmap, Chief Operating Officer Vamsi Chadalavada, who will succeed van Welie as CEO effective Jan. 1, 2026, identified innovation and investment in people as the keys to managing uncertainty. “The future is upon us now,” he said. “From a societal standpoint, innovation is at the heart of all progress. The way we operate the system is transforming.”

In addition to board members and ISO-NE management, several members of the public spoke during the listening session portion of the meeting. The public may continue to submit comments by emailing BoardofDirectors@iso-ne.com. Written comments provided by Dec. 31 will be compiled and posted to the ISO-NE website.

Summary factsheets of RSP25 in English and Spanish and the meeting presentation are available on the ISO’s event page.

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