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ISO: interconnection queue contains about 40,000 MW with batteries dominant; queue reform expected
Summary
ISO New England told the committee the regional interconnection queue currently totals roughly 40,000 megawatts of proposed projects, with standalone battery storage representing about 47 percent; ISO said many proposals are speculative, attrition is common, and reforms will require greater readiness.
ISO New England staff told the committee on Jan. 23 that developers have proposed roughly 40,000 megawatts of projects in the regional interconnection queue, and that nearly half of those proposals are standalone battery storage.
Sarah Adams said battery storage accounted for about 47 percent of the queue and that battery projects were effectively absent in 2017. She said the ISO has already studied and issued interconnection agreements for more than a quarter of the projects in the queue, but many agreements do not result in commercial projects because of permitting, supply‑chain or financing issues.
Adams gave a Vermont‑specific figure: about 344 megawatts were proposed in Vermont, predominantly batteries; she also noted Vermont represents roughly four percent of New England’s annual load. Committee members pressed for scale, asking how proposed capacity compares to in‑region annual consumption.
Adams described reforms prompted by federal Order No. 2023: the region is moving from a serial, first‑come/first‑served queue toward a “first‑ready, first‑served” approach with strong site‑control and financial‑surety requirements. She said the change should reduce speculative entries and increase the share of proposals that are commercially viable and go into construction.
