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New England Region Has Significant Potential to Develop Renewables

September 18, 2009 | 7 Comments

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Massachusetts, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] At the request of New England's six governors, ISO New England Inc. released the results of a study designed to evaluate renewable energy resource potential in the region, as well as the economic and environmental impacts of that development.

The study was also designed to identify the conceptual transmission development that could be required and estimated the costs to support interconnection of the resources envisioned in each scenario. In addition, the study looked at the impact of each scenario on wholesale electricity prices.

The objective of this study was to evaluate a hypothetical future power system under a number of scenarios. The study focused primarily on wind development, but also considered other resources such as demand resources, plug-in electric vehicles, expanded imports, and energy storage.

ISO New England's analysis concluded that significant amounts of potential wind resources could be added to New England’s system provided appropriate transmission expansion is in place, with offshore wind resource integration offering the most cost-effective use of new and existing transmission.

The study considered and tested a wide range of additional wind resource integration scenarios, from 2,000 to 12,000 megawatts. A separate, ongoing ISO New England wind integration study is looking at operational issues surrounding large integration levels.

For all of the scenarios considered, new transmission investment would be required to move energy from renewable resources to consumers throughout New England.

Annual wholesale electric energy prices would be generally lower with the addition of renewable resources that have low or no fuel costs, such as wind, or when overall electricity use is reduced, as is the case when high levels of demand resources are added to the system.

“We have an abundance of native renewable resource potential in New England. Before the states now are the questions as to how much regional renewable development should be pursued and at what cost,” said van Welie. “Tapping into these available resources can create potential benefits but would require new transmission to move power from where it is produced to where it is consumed. The concepts outlined in this study provide New England with an improved ability to compare and contrast the options before it, both within the region and beyond our borders.”

The analysis was used as a basis for the initial draft of the New England Governors’ Renewable Energy Blueprint, prepared by the New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE).

Bioenergy, Hydropower, Other, Wind Power, Energy Efficiency

7 Reader Comments

Comment
1 of 7

SteveNelson

September 23, 2009

While wind energy can and should be a major component of the power supply here in New England, ISO's study seems to gloss over the substantial investment required to bring that power to consumers, to say nothing of the siting issues for transmission lines. Good luck to the Governors when they try to build those lines through voters' backyards! Nor does the study appear to have addressed the role of distributed PV in generating power on-site where homeowners, businesses and institutions use it. ISO is obviously biased toward large-scale power generation, like the mainframe computer guys who scoffed when PCs were introduced.

Comment
2 of 7

paul-passarelli-76582

September 23, 2009

With organizations like the CCEF leading the charge, it's a little like Bill Cosby's routine of the coin toss between General Custer v. Sitting Bull.

objoke:

General Custer this is General Sitting Bull, Call the toss 'Cuss".
He call heads (coin flipping) It's tails.
You lost the toss Cuss. (quietly) Heh-heh.

(you either remember this by now and are laughing, or you're oblivious, or you know of Bill Cosby and are possibly curious.)

General Sitting Bull, what will you do?
(silence 3 seconds, nods as though listening)
OK. General Sitting Bull says:
General Custer, you and your men will assemble down there in the valley, while he and all the Indians in the world ride right on down on ya.
{laughter}

We, the manufacturers are like Custer. We lost the toss. This is not a competition among equals. State agencies are crippling the market's ability to field technology solutions by favoring political friends and excluding others based on impossible criteria.

I keep seeing rumors of investigations into certain agencies. Has anyone else here seen these?

Comment
3 of 7

john-farrell-ilsr

September 23, 2009

Have to toot my own horn here, because our paper examining the domestic renewable energy potential in each state – including New England and distributed, rooftop PV – will be out in two weeks: Energy Self-Reliant States

Sneak peek: every state in New England could get at least 75% of their electricity from in-state renewables.

-John

Comment
4 of 7

SteveNelson

September 23, 2009

Fantastic, John. I'll be looking for renewableenergyworld.com's coverage of your paper.

Comment
5 of 7

Graham-Jesmer

September 24, 2009

John: When your study comes out, please send any press releases as well as a copy to editor@renewableenergyworld.com. Thanks so much.

Comment
6 of 7

Anonymous

September 25, 2009

It is impossible to lower annual wholesale electric energy prices with the addition of renewable wind turbine resources. Renewable commercial wind resources that have low or no fuel costs, such as wind, actually have big start up problems. The cost of a good commercial wind turbine 5 million with a new narcel every ten years plus maintenance another 1 million this does not include the rehabilitation of the electric grid!

There is an abundance of native renewable resource potential in New England.
The states now have to ask questions as to how much regional renewable development should be pursued and at what cost? Lets take for example land based turbines in Massachusetts. Lawsuits have been filed against these turbine projects as there are no setbacks to residential property. The state of Massachusetts has decided to take away residential property rights through the proposed Massachusetts Wind Energy Siting reform Act. This proposed act will start one of the largest class action lawsuits in Massachusetts history. The concepts outlined in this study do not provide New England with the total picture of the entire cost of commercial wind turbine costs and only provides a snapshot.

We need to know the bottom line how much per kilowatt hour will it cost when its complete? This question is never answered. Do the economics of commercial wind power fit the residential and business needs?

Comment
7 of 7

Cliff_Goudey

September 27, 2009

Dear Anonymous,

Since when do our electric bills represent the bottom line? Where are the emisions-related healthcare costs? How about the cost of coping with mercury in the food chain? What of the costs in $$ and lives in maintaining our precarious foreign energy dependence?

I'll be happy to see these externalities disappear. How about you?

Cliff

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