ISO Minute: Connecting new energy to the grid

ISO Minute is a video series featuring ISO New England employees speaking about their experiences working for the region’s independent system operator and supporting the ongoing evolution of the electric system.

As the region’s energy mix evolves, connecting new power resources to the grid has become more complex. Behind every new generator is a process designed to ensure the reliability and stability of New England’s power system.

In this ISO Minute, Jody Truswell, supervisor of Interconnection Services, shares how ISO New England works with developers seeking to connect their new power resources to the grid, guiding them through the process to evaluate and study potential system impact.

Truswell joined the ISO as a consultant in 2015 after two decades in high-end hospitality. That experience, driven by customer service and relationship management, plays a key role in her current work guiding developers through the interconnection process.

The number of projects looking to be studied and connect to the grid has grown since her early days at the ISO. For Truswell, the complexities of the work and collaboration with groups both inside and outside the organization are part of what makes the work rewarding. 

“I never leave here a day during the week and say that that was boring, that did not contribute to the grid or purpose of what the ISO does,” Truswell notes.