It is well known that electricity rates in New England are much higher than the national average. Elected officials talk about the problem and raise their voices even higher when manufacturers and major employers announce they are either expanding their operations in other states or leaving the region entirely, taking thousands of jobs with them. […]
Category: Electricity
Natural Gas Pipeline Ruling Increases Importance of Canadian Hydro
On August 17th the Massachusetts Supreme Court vacated a ruling by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities that would have permitted electric utilities to charge electric ratepayers for pipeline capacity—and then sell the gas to generators. This could be the swan song for the last major natural gas pipeline expansion project on the table for […]
It’s now up to the SEC to Determine the Fate of Northern Pass
The New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee recently decided to extend the time frame for a ruling on the Northern Pass project for an additional nine months, which is nine months longer than state law allows. The rules and timeframe codified in law were the result of a legislative process that was painstakingly inclusive, encompassing a […]
Lift the Net Metering Cap, but Pay Solar Wholesale Prices
The latest energy debate in Concord is centered on attempts to raise the 50 MW cap on retail net energy metering—a policy that requires utilities to pay for excess electricity (usually solar) generated by a homeowner, business or municipality. When utilities are forced to pay retail rates for solar electricity that are two times the […]
New England’s Ratepayers Need Greater Access to Natural Gas
Electricity prices in New England are the highest of any region in the United States and have increased 17 to 44 percent the past decade (depending on the state). Not coincidently, New England has lost 150,000 manufacturing jobs during the same period—and too frequently companies have moved or expanded to other parts of the country. […]
Forward New Hampshire Plan Will Benefit Ratepayers
Eversource recently announced the Forward New Hampshire Plan, comprising an amended route and technology changes to its Northern Pass Project, which will import hydroelectricity from Canada. Making concessions to project opponents, Eversource proposes burying an additional 52 miles of transmission line underground—40 miles of which passes through sensitive areas in the White Mountain National Forest. […]
Wholesale Electricity Prices Are Down, But For How Long?
This winter’s wholesale electricity costs haven’t reached the historic levels seen during the 2013-2014 winter, but that doesn’t mean that all is well with New England’s electricity markets. We still have the highest regional electricity costs in the United States and impending capacity shortages will be a challenge to policymakers for years to come. ISO-NE […]
New Hampshire Policy Brief
New Hampshire and all of New England is facing some of the most challenging public policy decisions in recent memory—what to do about ever-rising electricity prices and their impacts on businesses and families. This brief reviews the results of recently implemented public policies and makes suggestions as to what steps New Hampshire’s elected officials could […]
Our Electricity Grid is Bending; Without Change it Will Break
For the past two years, New England has seen its energy rates rise from $.036 per kWh in 2012 to $.056 per kWh in 2013— more than a 50% increase. New England ratepayers paid an additional $3 billion for the energy we consumed last winter and as a result of capacity shortages in the most […]
NESCOE Proposal Unnecessary and Would Repeat Mistakes of the Past
Recently, the New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE), which represents the six New England states and its Governors on regional electricity issues, proposed an initiative that would socialize the cost of natural gas pipeline expansion as well as transmission lines associated with large-scale hydropower imports from Canada. The initiative has been rightfully met with […]