US Department of Energy releases Quadrennial Energy Review 1.2

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released the second installment of its Quadrennial Energy Review (QER 1.2), examining an array of issues and trends affecting the electric system in North America, from bulk power generation to end user, out to 2040. The report, titled “Transforming the Nation’s Electricity System,” finds that the electric system is a critical and essential national asset and that it is a strategic imperative to protect and enhance the value of the system through modernization and transformation. The QER 1.2 conducts its analysis within the context of three overarching national goals: enhancing economic competitiveness, promoting environmental responsibility, and providing for the nation’s security. 

The report provides 76 recommendations for modernization and transformation that can serve as the building blocks for longer-term, planned changes and activities undertaken in conjunction with state and local governments, policymakers, industry, and other stakeholders.

ISO-NE contributions

On June 28, 2017, Gordon van Welie, President & CEO of ISO New England, submitted comments to the US Department of Energy (DOE) as it prepared to write the QER. The ISO highlighted the importance of efficient wholesale markets and noted that additional energy infrastructure is needed to maintain reliability and meet regional environmental goals.

Learn more about the QER process.