ISO New England Inc. (ISO-NE) last week said that the region’s electricity supplies this summer should be adequate to meet expected electricity use, but also warned that transmission constraints in Southwest Connecticut could require that ISO-NE implement operating procedures to help maintain reliability in that area.

Summer electricity use for New England is forecast to reach 25,735 MW on at least one day during summer 2004 under normal weather conditions of around 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme weather conditions, such as an extended heat wave of approximately 95 degrees Fahrenheit, could drive peak use to 27,305 MW. New England’s summer electricity use typically ranges between 19,000 MW and 24,000 MW with temperatures in the 80s. The current record is 25,348 MW, set on Aug. 14, 2002.

Although New England as a whole is expected to have adequate power this summer, Southwest Connecticut and Northeast Massachusetts/Greater Boston have transmission constraints that could create electricity reliability concerns, ISO-NE said. Both areas have the highest electricity use in New England, with Northeast Massachusetts/Greater Boston making up approximately one-fifth of New England’s total electricity use.

“Since New England’s wholesale power markets were launched five years ago, generation has increased by one-third. As a result, we expect to have enough power to meet New England’s electricity use this summer,” said Stephen Whitley, ISO-NE’s senior vice president. “At the same time, last summer’s blackout, which affected areas of the New England region, demonstrates the need for continued vigilance and the ability to quickly respond to any unforeseen transmission or generation outages.”

He noted that Southwest Connecticut “has limited generating supply and often experiences transmission constraints that can make it difficult to import all the power that is needed. Although plans call for upgrading the area’s antiquated transmission system, ISO New England may need to take additional steps to balance supply and demand to protect that area from service disruptions this summer.”

Because of Southwest Connecticut’s transmission constraints, ISO-NE secured approximately 125 MW of emergency resources to maintain reliability in that area until transmission improvements are made.

“New England also needs to be mindful of population growth and economic development that continue to spur increased demand region wide,” said Whitley. “For example, transmission constraints in Northwest Vermont could become significant during the summer months as soon as 2006. To ensure long-term reliability, the industry must continue to pursue investment in new generation, improved transmission links and demand response programs that encourage conservation.”

©Copyright 2004 Intelligence Press Inc. Allrights reserved. The preceding news report may not be republishedor redistributed, in whole or in part, in any form, without priorwritten consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.