Iso New England

Electricity grid managers are preparing for possible spring and summer power disruptions in the Boston area after attacks in Yemen destroyed a pipeline and cut back the local supply of liquefied natural gas. LNG from Yemen is a tiny percentage of the abundant natural gas supplies in the U.S., but certain power generators in the Boston area and northeastern Massachusetts depend on it. If power demand spikes or another local generator unexpectedly...

Recent attacks on a pipeline in Yemen have regional electricity grid managers preparing for a possible drop in supplies of liquefied natural gas in the Boston area. Natural gas is abundant in the US, but local grid manager ISO New England said some power plants in northeastern Massachusetts have access only to liquefied natural gas. The ISO says because of that, if electricity demand spikes or another local power generator unexpectedly stops operating, diminished LNG supplies from Yemen put the grid's ability to reliably produce electricity at risk.

Electric power plants in Greater Boston may experience fuel shortages this summer because exports from Yemen, a major supplier of natural gas, have been disrupted by attacks by militants, energy officials said Friday. No shortages or outages are imminent, but officials are developing contingencies in case a heat wave drives up electricity use or a local power plant has an unexpected outage. Natural gas is the dominant source of fuel for New England's power plants, and about 25 percent of that is liquefied gas that is shipped, mostly from Yemen and the Caribbean, to three local...

Electric power plants in Greater Boston may experience fuel shortages this summer because exports from Yemen, a major supplier of natural gas, have been disrupted by attacks by militants, energy officials said Friday. No shortages or outages are imminent, but officials are developing contingencies in case a heat wave drives up electricity use or a local power plant has an unexpected outage. Natural gas is the dominant source of fuel for New England's power plants, and about 25 percent of that is liquefied gas that is shipped, mostly from Yemen and the Caribbean, to three local...

HARTFORD - Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said yesterday he has launched an antitrust investigation into the operator of New England's power grid and some power generators, alleging they swindled consumers out of almost $86 million. Blumenthal said the generators failed to provide "a watt of power" despite being paid under a federal rule that calls for them to supply the region with electricity when requested by ISO-New England. A spokeswoman for ISO-New England, said the company would submit information to FERC in response to the attorney general's concerns.

Attorney General Martha Coakley is trying to find out if a new tax in Connecticut could force Massachusetts homeowners to pay more for electricity. She is asking the head of ISO New England for an analysis of the impact on Bay State consumers. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy recently signed off on a deal to tax electricity generators one-quarter of one cent per kilowatt hour, or 25 cents per $100. Coakley said that since the energy market is interconnected, the Connecticut tax could raise the cost of electricity throughout New England.

THERE'S ANOTHER reason New England hasn't suffered heat-related power shortages over the last few summers ("The heat was on," Business, July 30). While ISO New England certainly does a good job managing conventional power sources and using demand response, the region also benefits from the many solar photovoltaic systems that have come on line. Our own 3.45 kilowatt system and the more than 30 megawatts installed by homeowners and businesses across Massachusetts generate electricity when everyone needs it most - without burning any fuel or emitting any pollutants.

New England’s electricity grid manager said yesterday it will allow Salem Harbor Power Station to close two coal-fired units in 2014 and proposed a fix to make the entire 60-year-old plant unneeded. The decision by ISO New England follows plant owner Dominion Resources Inc.’s request in February to close the plant by June 2014. Dominion has said it won’t invest in upgrades at the four-unit, coal- and oil-fired plant, long targeted by environmentalists but valued by locals for jobs and tax revenues.

SALEM — Energy provider Dominion Resources Inc. has asked the regional electricity grid manager to allow it to permanently close its Salem Harbor Power Station in Massachusetts by June 2014. Virginia-based Dominion said yesterday it made the request to ISO New England on Feb. 10. ISO has 90 days to determine if it will need the plant to ensure reliable electricity delivery. ISO can’t force the station to stay open, but it could negotiate a deal with Dominion that sees ratepayers covering needed upgrades to keep it running.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is warning that a new tax in Connecticut could end up costing Massachusetts homeowners and other electricity customers an extra $26 million annually. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy recently signed off on a deal to tax electricity generators one quarter of one cent per kilowatt hour, or 25 cents per $100. Coakley last month asked the head of ISO New England for an analysis about what impact the tax hike could have on Bay State consumers.

The Powers That Be Neil Swidey scared the daylights out of me with his article ("What If the Lights Go Out," February 5). I would certainly like to go off the grid. But you notice that you always have to have the backup "genny" (as they call them around here). Plus, after reading the article, it seems as if I'd also need an underground storage tank with fuel for it. It's a good reason to be rich, I guess, but I'm not a one-percenter. Thanks for the heads-up and another thing to worry about and say prayers for: "Please God, let thy will be that the electricity stays on all the time.

While the deal to sell the Salem Harbor Power Station has not yet been completed, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll likes what she's hearing about the proposed plan to convert the coal-and-oil-fired power plant to a natural gas facility. "We're cautiously optimistic that it may lead to a redevelopment of that site," said Driscoll. Dominion, the Virginia-based energy company that owns the Salem power plant, confirmed last week that is negotiating to sell the site to New Jersey-based Footprint Power.

The long-planned Cape Wind offshore wind project is unlikely to be producing electricity by mid-2015, New England's power grid manager says in a new report that raises the prospect of more delays in a project beset by them. But Cape Wind officials say they disagree with ISO New England's evaluation and expect to be running at least partially by mid-2015. ISO New England's determination about Cape Wind was included in a Jan. 3 report in which the company rejected Cape Wind's bid to participate in a market that it oversees.

THERE'S ANOTHER reason New England hasn't suffered heat-related power shortages over the last few summers ("The heat was on," Business, July 30). While ISO New England certainly does a good job managing conventional power sources and using demand response, the region also benefits from the many solar photovoltaic systems that have come on line. Our own 3.45 kilowatt system and the more than 30 megawatts installed by homeowners and businesses across Massachusetts generate electricity when everyone needs it most - without burning any fuel or emitting any pollutants.

Forecasters at ISO New England, the region's power grid operator, work around the clock every day - but especially on hot ones - adjusting and readjusting predictions for just how much electricity the agency will need so people can keep their air conditioners cooling, their ice cream frozen, their fans blowing. Precision is key: If forecasters guess too low, the power system won't have enough electricity available, and outages could follow. If the forecast misses on the high side, that means the cost of securing unused power supplies gets passed to electric customers.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is warning that a new tax in Connecticut could end up costing Massachusetts homeowners and other electricity customers an extra $26 million annually. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy recently signed off on a deal to tax electricity generators one quarter of one cent per kilowatt hour, or 25 cents per $100. Coakley last month asked the head of ISO New England for an analysis about what impact the tax hike could have on Bay State consumers.

HOLYOKE — The operator of New England’s power grid says there should be no problem meeting the region’s demands for electricity this summer, even in the event of an extended heat wave. Holyoke-based ISO New England Inc., said yesterday that daily electricity use in New England could peak at 27,190 megawatts this summer under normal weather conditions. Power consumption was lower last summer because of cooler weather and the economic downturn, hitting a peak of 25,100 megawatts on Aug. 18. ISO said the region could generate more than 32,00 megawatts this summer, enough to handle...