By William Opalka FERC accepted the results of ISO-NE’s 10th Forward Capacity Auction last week, again rejecting allegations of market manipulation and concluding that the prices were just and reasonable (ER16-1041). Brayton Point Wikipedia The auction, covering the 2019/20 commitment period, saw prices drop to $7.03/kW-month from last year’s $9.55/kW-month.

Del Mar Releases Climate Action Plan Del Mar became the second city in San Diego County — after San Diego — to announce an objective of moving to 100% renewable energy by 2035. That goal is part of a larger climate action plan to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. The...

By William Opalka A long-awaited bill introduced in the Massachusetts House of Representatives last week that would ease the path for Canadian hydropower and offshore wind into the state and New England electricity markets was criticized by both clean energy advocates and power generators. Daniel-Johnson Dam and Manic Generating Station...

By William Opalka RENSSELAER, N.Y. — NYISO’s Market Monitoring Unit is recommending changes to the capacity market and planning processes in import-constrained zones as a result of a New York generating plant’s successful offers into the last two ISO-NE Forward Capacity Auctions. Pallas LeeVanSchaick of Potomac Economics outlined the recommendations...

The average real-time price of wholesale power in New England fell by more than a third last year, according to the 2015 Annual Markets Report by the Internal Market Monitor of ISO-NE. Prices dropped more than $22/MWh to $41, as the average price of natural gas fell 41% to $4.73/MMBtu...

By William Opalka BOSTON — The New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable met for the 150th time on Wednesday to celebrate some successes and discuss ways to continue moving the nation to a low-carbon future. Tierney © RTO Insider The meeting has grown from the small group of stakeholders that met...

Perez-Arriaga © RTO Insider Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Ignacio Perez-Arriaga, said the university’s Utility of the Future study, scheduled for release in October, will have two major messages: “One is we have to reduce the barriers that impede an efficient and effective participation by distributed energy resources ... and all...

By William Opalka Electric and gas utilities tried to convince FERC at a technical conference last week that targeted release of natural gas capacity to generators would alleviate supply constraints and help lower prices. Other participants said the proposal is premature, ill-defined, discriminatory and interferes with the wholesale power market.

Electric Rates Drop to ‘Near Historic Lows’ The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approved “near historic” low rates starting July 1 for the standard offers from the state’s two electric utilities, thanks to depressed natural gas prices. The standard rate for Eversource Energy customers will drop from the current 9.555 cents/kWh to...

By William Opalka Kinder Morgan said Wednesday it has suspended work on the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline, citing an uncertain regulatory climate and a lack of commitments from New England power generators to reserve capacity. The $3.3 billion project, being developed by subsidiary Tennessee Gas Pipeline, was to deliver shale...