At the request of the region's governors, the New England States Committee on Electricity has asked grid operator ISO-New England to assist the states as they request proposals for transmission infrastructure to deliver at least 1.2 GW and as much as 3.6 GW of electricity from clean energy sources into the grid, and to develop a funding mechanism to support investment in pipelines that bring natural gas into the region.
The request builds on the governors' agreement in December 2013 to work together on a regional approach to expand energy infrastructure in New England. As the region's power generation becomes increasingly reliant on natural gas, this portfolio of infrastructure investments will help ensure adequate supplies of gas and clean energy from diverse sources, while lowering the cost of electricity for residents and businesses.
‘Our regional energy infrastructure partnership is a big step forward in our effort to provide residents with more affordable, reliable and cleaner power,’ says Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, in a statement. ‘Diversifying our energy mix will help ensure adequate supplies and end our reliance on fossil fuels that come with volatile prices.’
