ISO-NE "will be in a precarious operating position for the next several winters due to the natural gas pipeline constraints," spokeswoman Marcia Blomberg said.

PJM is hoping that testing of little-used generating units will ensure they are available if cold weather strains its reserve margin.

Although the grid demonstrated its resiliency during January’s polar vortex, more needs to be done to prepare generators for future cold spells, NERC said in a report released today.

PJM’s plans to conduct winter tests of infrequently used generators could cost as much as $15.9 million, officials told the Operating Committee last week.

Members agreed last week to consider changing credit requirements for virtual transactions in January and February 2015 despite opposition from PJM.

At FERC's uplift hearing, PJM was a target for criticism from market participants smarting over the $600 million uplift bill from January’s polar vortex.

PJM dropped a proposal to consider changes to the regulation market after receiving a cool reaction from stakeholders and the Market Monitor.

PJM will increase performance penalties and incentives and seek ways to incorporate firm gas transportation in energy prices under an initiative announced last week to reduce generator outage rates during winter.

The brutal winter weather boosted earnings for many PJM companies in the first quarter, even while some were absorbing huge costs from strategy shifts.

PJM will resettle $89 million in bills due to logging errors that overcharged LSEs in the eastern portion of PJM during the polar vortex.