Gordon van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, recently held an informational briefing to discuss the energy future of New England. He says that although natural-gas-fired power plants will play a prominent role in the region's energy mix, there is a growing interest in wind and other renewable power resources.
Although wind and other renewable resources make up a small portion of New England's power mix, van Welie says that development has the potential to skyrocket. He notes developers have expressed interest in building 3,100 MW of new, renewable resources in all six New England states. Wind projects make up 85% of the proposed projects.
In addition, van Welie says that as Canada invests in new wind, hydro and nuclear resources, there is significant potential for this power to be sent to New England to help meet energy needs.
To prepare for more wind energy, van Welie says ISO New England has initiated a year-long Wind Integration Study to assess the impact of various wind development scenarios on power system operations.
The study is examining how onshore and offshore wind energy, demand, traditional power generation and transmission will interact.
SOURCE: ISO New England
