New York will once again have razor-thin margins between supply and demand this summer, but the state should have adequate power supplies to meet expected demand, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) said last Tuesday.

The NYISO cited a number of contributing factors in projecting sufficient power supplies for this summer. Specifically, the grid operator noted improvements to a number of existing facilities and the addition of a modest amount of new generation. The implementation of demand response programs by the NYISO and utility companies in the state should also help reduce demand during times of peak need.

The installed capacity required for the state for the months of May through October 2003 is 37,087 MW. Currently, 36,527 MW of installed capacity is available from in-state resources. Anticipated new generation, out-of-state capacity and the capacity that demand response programs produce, add to this in-state capacity to provide a total of 37,087 MW.

For the New York City area, the locational installed capacity required for May-October is 8,816 MW. The city’s installed capacity is currently 8,749 MW. Additional capacity available from demand response programs will bring the total capacity to the required 8,816 MW.

Long Island has an on-island capacity requirement of 4,607 MW and currently meets this locational requirement. The Island came within a whisker of facing blackouts last summer.

“Despite the forecast for this summer, New York still needs to focus on getting new generators sited and built on an expedited basis. New York’s electric demand continues to rise and shows little sign of abating. Unless significant generating capacity is added to the system — and soon — demand is going to overwhelm supply and reliability will be at risk,” said William J. Museler, the NYISO’s CEO.

“Because of the two-to-three-year lead time to build large baseload plants, if New York is to remedy this situation it needs to get a new siting law in place, plants approved and construction commenced immediately.”

A copy of the forecast can be downloaded from the NYISO’s website at www.nyiso.com.

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