Offshore transmission developer Anbaric is requesting an economic study to examine the impacts of 8 GW, 10 GW and 12 GW of offshore wind on energy prices, air emissions and fuel security in New England.
Conducted by ISO New England Inc., the study would have a target year of 2030. It would take into account the recent and upcoming retirements of the Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim and Millstone nuclear stations.
“Over the past year, offshore wind targets have expanded across the New England states, with numbers as large as 12,000 MW becoming more of a reality,” says Ed Krapels, CEO of Anbaric. “As New England moves forward with its current procurements and legislation, Anbaric is requesting this new study so that consumers, policymakers and regulators have access to updated data to reach informed decisions.”
“Unlike past offshore wind studies, this request seeks to understand the impacts that larger amounts of wind energy would have,” adds Theodore Paradise, senior vice president of transmission strategy at Anbaric. “We expect the results to show that significant offshore wind additions will help resolve the region’s fuel security needs even with generator retirements and without significant new natural gas pipelines.”
ISO New England solicits economic study requests each year. These requests seek information regarding the impacts of various power system scenarios.
Build the offshore wind farms — and more of them — but also keep the nuclear plants. We need all the carbon-free electricity we can get.