New England’s grid operator earlier this month purchased power from two planned Rhode Island energy projects, which bodes well for a region where resources are scant.
ISO-New England, the region’s nonprofit operator based in Holyoke, Mass., purchased a combined 491.8 megawatts of power from Invenergy LLC’s proposed power plant in Burrillville – 485 megawatts – and Deepwater Wind’s offshore windfarm project off Block Island – 6.8 megawatts – for 2019-2020.
The region’s operator each year holds an energy-capacity auction, designed to ensure the grid will have sufficient resources to meet demand three years down the road.
This year’s auction resulted in the procurement of more than 1,400 megawatts of new generation capacity, including the 491.8 megawatts from Rhode Island, which was purchased at an overall lower price compared with 2015, meaning New Englanders on average could pay less for power in the future.
The power purchased from Rhode Island generators could also help reduce the cost of power in a region where generation is limited. •
