This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.
In this Update:
- ISO New England files FCA #12 finalized results with FERC
- Ninth Annual CLG Report Highlights 2017 Activities and Other Consumer-Related, Wholesale Electricity Industry Topics
- FERC Staff Inquiry Finds No Withholding of Pipeline Capacity in New England Markets
- The Energy and Technology Committee will hold a public hearing on March 6 and March 8.
REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
ISO NEW ENGLAND FILES FCA #12 FINALIZED RESULTS WITH FERC
Finalized results from the 12th Forward Capacity Auction (FCA #12) confirm that the auction, conducted on February 5 and 6, concluded with sufficient resources to meet electricity demand in 2021–2022, at the lowest price in five years. While the auction closed with enough resources to meet demand, the ISO rejected two bids from resources looking to withdraw from the capacity market for the one-year capacity commitment period. The ISO’s mandatory transmission reliability review showed that transmission lines in Greater Boston could be overloaded if the resources, Mystic 7 and Mystic 8, were not available during 2021-2022. ISO New England filed the results with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on February 28. The FERC filing includes a list of resources that have an obligation to be available in that capacity commitment period. Read the press release.
NINTH ANNUAL CLG REPORT HIGHLIGHTS 2017 ACTIVITIES AND OTHER CONSUMER-RELATED, WHOLESALE ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY TOPICS
ISO New England and the Consumer Liaison Group (CLG) Coordinating Committee recently issued the 2017 Report of the Consumer Liaison Group, which summarizes the activities of the CLG during 2017. The ISO and regional electricity market stakeholders created the CLG in 2009 to facilitate the consideration of consumer interests in determining the needs and solutions for the region’s power system. The CLG is open to the public. Participants generally include consumers and consumer representatives (including state consumer and ratepayer advocates), state business and industry associations, chambers of commerce, individual businesses, trade groups, nonprofit organizations, and other end users. The CLG meets quarterly, and each meeting addresses various regional electricity and consumer issues. About 75 to 100 participants attend each meeting, both in person and via teleconference. To learn more, visit the CLG page on the ISO website.
FERC STAFF INQUIRY FINDS NO WITHHOLDING OF PIPELINE CAPACITY IN NEW ENGLAND MARKETS
A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff inquiry has revealed no evidence of anticompetitive withholding of natural gas pipeline capacity on Algonquin Gas Transmission by New England shippers. The inquiry arose out of allegations made by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in an August 2017 white paper, which asserted that local gas distribution companies in New England had engaged in practices to withhold pipeline capacity on the Algonquin system in order to drive up gas and/or power prices in the region. Commission staff took these allegations very seriously and conducted an extensive review of both publicly available and non-public data. On the basis of that review, staff determined that EDF’s study was flawed and led to incorrect conclusions about the alleged withholding. Commission staff found no evidence of capacity withholding and will take no further action on the matter.
2018 CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The 2018 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly convened on February 7, 2018. General information about the Energy and Technology Committee is available here.