Eversource & National Grid Propose Innovative Solutions to Improve Reliability & Transition to a Clean Energy Future in Great...
March 05 2020 - 11:04AM
Business Wire
Energy companies collaborate to ensure
reliability when the Mystic Generating Station retires in
2024
When the Mystic Generating Station closes for good, National
Grid and Eversource are prepared to meet the energy shortfall
created by the station’s retirement.
New England’s power grid manager, ISO New England (ISO-NE), says
the station’s closing will create significant reliability risks in
the Boston area, including overloaded transmission lines and
overall system instability. To address those concerns, ISO-NE
issued a solicitation for competitive transmission solutions.
National Grid and Eversource today announced that they have
submitted a range of proposals for transmission solutions that will
provide Greater Boston with enhanced electricity reliability,
increasing capacity for the flow of new clean energy resources,
while having a minimal community or environmental impact.
The eight proposals include upgrades to existing properties, are
cost-effective, and can be built before Exelon retires Mystic
Station on June 1, 2024. Some of the new proposals have the added
benefit of enabling cost-effective delivery of clean energy
resources like offshore wind, with one capable of supporting an
additional 1,100 megawatts of clean energy during peak demand
hours.
“Our proposals will help usher in new clean energy resources,
provide enhanced reliability for the region’s electrical system,
and ensure these upgrades happen with little environmental impact,”
said Rudy Wynter, President and COO of the Wholesale Networks &
US Capital Delivery group within National Grid. “National Grid and
Eversource will be able to cost-effectively deliver these critical
infrastructure projects on time to meet the electricity needs of
Greater Boston.”
“As operators of New England’s largest energy delivery system,
we have the expertise and the experience to ensure that our
electric system keeps pace with our customers’ evolving needs,”
said Eversource President of Transmission Bill Quinlan. “We have a
high degree of confidence that our innovative solutions can be
delivered on time and will provide significant environmental and
financial benefits to customers throughout the region. The
retirement of Mystic helps to reduce fossil fuels from our energy
mix in New England as we work to upgrade our transmission system to
accommodate more renewables and enable a clean energy future for
our region.”
The eight proposals submitted by Eversource and National Grid
range in cost from $48 million to $120 million, with the most
cost-effective solution containing the following benefits:
- Maximizes the use of existing transmission facilities in the
Boston area;
- Keeps upgrades entirely on properties already in use by the
energy companies, minimizing the environmental impact;
- Will be in-service eight months prior to the planned Mystic
Station retirement;
- Capitalizes on the strong financial capabilities and
unparalleled expertise of two companies that develop and construct
transmission projects in Massachusetts and throughout New
England.
Other solutions include the construction of a new 345 kilovolt
(kV) transmission circuit along existing rights of way north of the
Mystic Generating Station that will deliver added reliability,
resilience and maximize the capacity to bring more clean energy
into the Boston area.
The financial benefit to customers provided by these range of
solutions will also be significant. All of the proposed solutions
from both companies are well below the estimated $175 million
annually (excluding fuel costs and capacity credits) that New
England consumers will pay to keep Mystic Station available.
ISO-NE is expected to make its decision on the winning proposal
by mid-2021.
About National Grid National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an
electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving
more than 20 million people through our networks in New York,
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our
electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and
more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information, please visit our website, follow us on
Twitter, watch us on YouTube, friend us on Facebook, and find our
photos on Instagram.
About Eversource Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a
national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy
company in Newsweek’s list of America's Most Responsible Companies
for 2020 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies and
the top utility by Forbes and JUST Capital. Eversource transmits
and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8
million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately
1.5 million electric customers in 139 communities, nearly 300,000
gas customers in 51 communities, and 19,800 water customers in five
communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately
8,300 employees across three states to build a single, united
company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and
water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency
provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy
future in the Northeast, with nationally-recognized energy
efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean
energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and
battery storage, into the electric system. For more information,
please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and follow us on
Twitter (@eversourceMA) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceMA).
For more information on our water services, visit
www.aquarionwater.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200305005615/en/
Caroline Pretyman, Eversource 617-424-2460
caroline.pretyman@eversource.com John Lamontagne, National Grid
339-223-6077 john.lamontagne@nationalgrid.com
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