New England policymakers and stakeholders must not overlook the need for electric affordability in the energy transition, officials from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut told attendees of the New England Power Generators Association’s fifth annual New England Energy Summit.
Massachusetts has moved to discourage new investment in natural gas infrastructure by blocking utilities from recovering costs unless they can show they first considered non-gas alternatives.
The slow rate of approvals of new municipal aggregations at the state’s Department of Public Utilities has limited the reach of these programs, the researchers said.
Representatives from states working on the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission spoke about the young effort, particularly about offshore wind connections.
Those with vested interests in fossil-fuel-based systems continue to use political and economic power to stall action in the Commonwealth and around the world, Hoffer said.
The American Clean Power Association’s Offshore WINDPOWER conference discussed uncertainty and the need for federal support amidst supply chain snarls and high interest rates.
Speakers at Raab Associates’ New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable emphasized the importance of transmission planning to ensure the grid can handle increased amounts of variable clean energy and higher demand from electrification.
