New England region to evaluate benefits of nuclear
Governors of five states in the New England region of the US have requested the regional grid operator to evaluate the benefits of nuclear power and other clean energy alternatives.
The group released a statement on the decision on 13 August. It was signed by the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. The Governor of Maine – the sixth state in the New England Region – did not sign the statement.
In the document, the governors highlighted that their motivation was ensuring power sources deployed in the region were cost-effective, saying: “Energy policies implemented at the state level strive to balance affordability, reliability and sustainability,
“It is vital that our pursuit of a reliable and lower-carbon grid leverages available technologies and competitive markets to foster affordable electric rates for all consumers.”
They acknowledged that certain factors out of government control can impact power costs, such as wholesale electricity markets and transmission costs.
They said these costs are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and are “highly correlated with the planning assumptions and operational actions taken by ISO New England (ISO-NE), the entity that manages the region’s electric grid and underlying wholesale energy markets.”
The governors encouraged ISO-NE to assess any new market actions by the benefits they will provide to consumers, and provide ‘transparent’ information on the incentives behind any new energy policies.
