ISO New England Study Concludes Region's Transmission Inadequate

Independent System Operator (ISO) New England released its annual Regional Transmission Expansion Plan on November 8, 2002, which provides an engineering assessment of the area's electric power system. The report concluded that nearly $900 million in transmission upgrades might be required for system reliability and wholesale market efficiency. According to the study, needed infrastructure upgrades in southwestern Connecticut and northwestern Vermont could cost about $750 million. Power being produced in Maine, southeastern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island sometimes cannot be sent to high demand areas because transmission lines are inadequate. ISO New England concluded that upgrades in the transmission system have not kept up with the growth in generation capacity, which has caused the power system and wholesale power exchange to operate "below optimum efficiency." Source: Business Wire, November 8, 2002.

NERC Reliability Assessment 2002-2011 Released:
Generation Capacity Adequate, Transmission Expansion Lagging

The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) released its Reliability Assessment 2002-2011 earlier this month, which asserts that North America's generation capacity will likely be adequate in the near term to meet customer demand, but that transmission expansion "continues to lag generation additions." The report indicates that most of the transmission projects planned for the next 10 years will connect new generators or customers to the grid, but that power plants being built in areas with limited access may experience difficulties transmitting their power to designated markets. EnergyWashington.com, October 11, 2002.