ISO New England guards against energy shortfalls by closely monitoring weather forecasts, fuel supplies, expected consumer demand, and other variables. On a rolling basis throughout the year, we prepare a 21-Day Energy Assessment Forecast and Report to keep the region informed about anticipated power system conditions.
The ISO may declare an Energy Alert anytime the assessment indicates a capacity deficiency or controlled outages are likely within six to 21 days. If the assessment indicates these conditions are likely in one to five days, an Energy Emergency is declared.
These alerts raise awareness of potential system reliability issues among participants in the region’s wholesale electricity markets, government regulators, reliability organizations, and electricity consumers.
Under an Energy Alert or Energy Emergency, the ISO and other entities can take actions to mitigate forecasted energy shortfalls. These actions include:
Unless the ISO has made an appeal for voluntary conservation of electricity use, no immediate action is required. However, members of the public should monitor conditions and be prepared to follow conservation requests if they are issued by the ISO or the region’s governors.
