In accordance with Attachment K, Section 4.1(b) of the ISO’s Open-Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), the ISO performs Economic Study analyses to inform stakeholders about different future systems. These hypothetical, alternative systems should not be regarded as physically realizable plans or the ISO’s vision of realistic future development, projections, and preferences but rather can assist stakeholders by identifying key regional issues. A stakeholder must make an Economic Study request to the ISO, via the Planning Advisory Committee (PAC), by April 1. The scope of work, assumptions, and results of an Economic Study reflect input from the Planning Advisory Committee (PAC). Economic Studies can be complex and require months of analyses, but at the end of each study the ISO prepares a report describing the results of the study. Below you will find the following documentation:
| Request year | request |
|---|---|
| 2022 | No study requested under Section 4.1(b) of Attachment K. The ISO proposed a ‘pilot’ study of Economic Planning for the Clean Energy Transition (EPCET) to achieve a better understanding of the effect of on-going industry trends on economic planning analyses. The ‘pilot’ study is intended to achieve three main objectives: perform a dry-run for a new study framework for Economic Studies; review and test input assumptions in economic planning analyses; gain experience in the features and capabilities of the ISO’s economic planning software. |
| 2021 | One economic study was received. NEPOOL submitted their Future Grid Reliability Study – Phase I that examined potential reliability gaps in operating the New England system in the year 2040 with more variable energy resources and increased electrification of the overall economy. The final 2021 Economic Study: Future Grid Reliability Study Phase 1 report and a two-page summary has been posted. This report has three technical appendices on Production Cost, Ancillary Services, and Resource Adequacy. Data from the Production Cost and Ancillary Services work are also available. |
| 2020 |
One economic study was received. The study examines how utilizing existing and new ties to neighboring regions in a bi-directional fashion could optimize the use of renewables across several regions, minimizing spillage, and reducing the reliance on fossil units during peak hours. |
| 2019 |
Three separate study requests. The first examined offshore wind expansion scenarios in southern New England up to 8,000 MW. The second examined offshore wind expansion in southern New England between 8,000 MW and 12,000 MW. The third evaluated the effectiveness of transmission upgrades to Orrington South to increase production from constrained onshore renewables in Maine. |
| 2018 | None |
| 2017 | Exploration of Least-Cost Emissions-Compliant Scenarios examines several low-carbon-emitting resource-expansion scenarios of the regional power system and the potential effects of these different future changes on resource adequacy, operating and capital costs, and options for meeting environmental policy goals. |
| 2016 | Performed in two phases. Phase I: Implications of Public Policy on ISO New England Market Design, System Reliability and Operability, Resource Costs and Revenues, and Emissions, examines resource-expansion scenarios of the regional power system and the potential effects of these different future changes on resource adequacy, operating and capital costs, and options for meeting environmental policy goals. Phase II: two presentations were made in lieu of a report, Regulation, Ramping, and Reserves Scenario Results Introduction and Ramping, Regulation, and Reserves. |
| 2015 | Three wind-expansion scenarios: Keene Road (Evaluation of Increasing the Keene Road Export Limit), Northern New England (Strategic Transmission Analysis—Onshore Wind Integration), and off the shore of Rhode Island and Massachusetts (Evaluation of Offshore Wind Deployment). |
| 2014 | None |
| 2013 | One request that examined the economic impacts of different megawatt levels of imports across the Hydro-Québec Phase II interface. |
| 2012 | Three study requests with one report, which examined various resource-expansion and retirement scenarios. |
| 2011 | Wind-integration study examined onshore wind development for five different subareas. |
Economic Study-related information is accessible below. Use the Key Topic filter to sort materials by Economic Study Planning Year. Use the Document Type filter to find specific types of materials.
One economic study request was self-submitted by the ISO. The ISO proposed a ‘pilot’ study of Economic Planning for the Clean Energy Transition (EPCET) to achieve a better understanding of the effect of the industry trends of expansive buildout of distributed energy resources (e.g., solar PV); integration of large scale renewables, most notably offshore wind; increasing imports via HVDC interconnections; and integration of significant amounts of energy storage resources on our economic planning analyses.
