New England power plant closures strain supply
Regional power grid operators have warned that the retirement of several power plants in New England is putting pressure on the power supply and driving up prices.
ISO-New England said that an auction Monday to secure electricity for 2017 and 2018 fell short by 155 megawatts — enough to power around 155,000 homes — reflecting a need for new energy resources as older power plants are retired. The Associated Press reported that it is the first megawatt deficit since the region’s forward capacity market started in 2006. The AP reported that major oil, coal and nuclear power plants are set to retire by June 1, 2017, including Brayton Point and Salem Harbor in Massachusetts and Vermont Yankee in Vermont, which combined make up around 10% of New England’s capacity.
A spokeswoman for the grid operator told the AP it’s too early to know what the impact of the latest auction may be on customers.
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