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ISO: decades of transmission investment; more upgrades and state‑funded projects needed to carry renewables
Summary
ISO New England told the committee the region has invested roughly $12.7 billion in transmission since 2002, expects about $1.4 billion more through 2028, and that future transmission—some state‑funded and some privately funded—will be essential to move large amounts of new renewable energy.
ISO New England staff told the Vermont committee on Jan. 23 that transmission investment has been central to relieving constraints, lowering out‑of‑market costs and enabling more competitive wholesale markets.
Sarah Adams said the region has invested about $12.7 billion in high‑voltage transmission since 2002 and that roughly $1.4 billion more is planned through 2028. She described two categories of transmission investment: reliability projects (regionally funded and apportioned by load share) and elective transmission upgrades (privately or state‑funded projects to carry additional renewables).
Adams noted eight proposed elective transmission upgrades in the ISO interconnection queue that, if developed, could move roughly 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy from Northern New England to load centers in the south. She said transmission upgrades reduce reliability agreements and allow markets to select the lowest‑cost megawatt rather than being constrained by local bottlenecks.
Adams also cited a Massachusetts decarbonization study estimating annual transmission reliability investment needs in the range of $620 million to $1 billion per year through 2050 to support the clean energy transition. She described ongoing regional and longer‑term planning work—an RSP update and a longer 2050‑look study—with the ISO collaborating with states on needs and a potential RFP to solicit transmission solutions on behalf of states.
Adams said the ISO is also incorporating extreme‑weather analysis into operations and planning, including a new tool used for winter assessments that models prolonged cold events and fuel‑supply contingencies.
