Rowley MLP considers withdrawing from battery‑storage project after ISO‑NE study adds $100K cost

General Manager Matthew Brown said on Oct. 9 that ISO‑NE is requiring a Level 3 study for the proposed regional battery‑storage project because the Groveland/Rowley area is a congested sub‑transmission zone. "The cost of the study would be approximately $100K with a completion date of one to one in a half year," Brown told the board and said that possible upgrades at National Grid's King Street substation could create additional, shared costs.

Brown said the combination of the required study and potential substation upgrades led him to recommend that RMLP "potentially withdraw from the project and then re‑evaluate it after we finish the substation project." Commissioners asked staff to seek more information about the study requirement: Commissioner Danby Whitmore asked staff to determine why the Level 3 study is required and whether it would cover future projects, and Commissioner Bryan DiPersia suggested contacting Dave Cavanaugh of Energy New England to explore whether the requirement could be waived or clarified. Brown said he would try to arrange for Cavanaugh to attend next month's meeting to discuss options.

The board did not take a formal vote on the project at the Oct. 15 meeting. The discussion focused on clarifying the technical and cost implications before committing RMLP funds to the ISO study or to potential substation work.