New Report Outlines a Road map for Interregional Tx in the Northeast

A new report outlines a high-level road map for cross-border interregional transmission planning in the Northeast, making the case for more coordinated planning processes across sub-regions and regulatory environments.

The analysis, authored by the energy consulting firm Power Advisory, was commissioned by the Northeast Grid Planning Forum. The forum is an initiative of Nergica, a Quebec-based clean energy research organization, and the Acadia Center. (See New Initiative Focuses on Interregional Tx Coordination in the Northeast.)

“Provinces and states could benefit through enhanced coordination and transmission project development that optimizes utilization of existing resources and enables development of new clean energy sources,” Power Advisory wrote.

While studies have shown significant potential for increased interregional transmission throughout the Northeast, “fragmented planning processes and challenges presented by differences in regulatory structures” have limited states and provinces’ ability to fully realize these benefits, the authors wrote.

They emphasized the need to build trust, increase information access and establish mechanisms to facilitate transmission partnerships across regions and borders.

“A collaborative planning framework will require new approaches to sharing information and will require harmonizing planning processes to meet the requirements and planning horizons of each jurisdiction,” Power Advisory wrote. “Transparency and engagement will provide confidence in identified needs among jurisdictions and stakeholders.”

The report highlights several recent larger-scale transmission planning efforts as evidence of growing interest in interregional planning.

In June, the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, which includes nine states, issued a request for information (RFI) to identify “potential interregional transmission opportunities … that improve grid reliability, support economic growth and reduce costs for consumers.”

The states asked for input on potential cost allocation methods and wrote that responses to the RFI will “inform potential future solicitations or transmission planning activities.”

International cooperation around transmission planning also has increased. In 2024, the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers agreed to reconvene the Northeast International Committee on Energy, directing the committee to establish working groups “to pursue regional collaboration and planning on the topics of transmission, offshore wind supply chain and hard-to-decarbonize sectors.”

In Atlantic Canada, top politicians are eying a massive buildout of offshore wind generation, which would require large-scale interregional transmission developments to move the power to load centers in Canada and New England.

According to a strategic plan published by Nova Scotia, researchers have identified offshore wind sites that could host 62 GW of generation. Nova Scotia has proposed a 5,000-MW first phase of development, requiring an estimated $40 billion in capital investment to build the generation and $20 billion to build the associated transmission.

These recent efforts “indicate recognition by the key jurisdictions that current transmission planning approaches are constrained and insufficient and need to change to realize the benefits of broader regional energy system integration,” Power Advisory wrote.

To select projects, existing regional competitive transmission solicitation processes could be aligned to allow for interregional projects, or new processes could be stood up, the authors wrote.

“The recently established ISO-NE Longer-Term Transmission Planning (LTTP) process provides an instructive model for need identification across a multi-jurisdiction region,” they said.

ISO-NE is evaluating project submissions for the first iteration of its LTTP process, which is focused on increasing transmission capacity in Maine and enabling the interconnection of onshore wind generation. (See ISO-NE Reveals 1st Details of Long-term Transmission Proposals.)

States and provinces also would need to establish cost sharing processes and could take inspiration from Europe’s cross-border cost allocation methodology, the authors wrote.

Cost allocation “should ensure full consideration of all benefits evaluated in each participating jurisdiction,” including “reduced production costs, avoided capacity costs, avoidance of alternative transmission investments, improved transmission system efficiency, reliability and other benefits,” the authors added.

To address the challenges of determining needs, selecting projects and allocating costs across regulatory authorities, states and provinces should establish “a joint coordination agreement” that “formalizes collaboration and provides a clear mandate for agency staff regarding the scope of future work,” Power Advisory concluded.

This could mirror the memorandum of understanding underpinning the Northeast States Collaborative and could lay the groundwork for answering more technical questions related to modeling, information sharing and aligning existing processes, they wrote.

To read the full article from RTO Insider, click here.

Report Projects $19.3B in Benefits from New England Efficiency Programs

Projected energy efficiency investments in New England over the next three years will generate an estimated $19.3 billion in lifetime benefits, returning $2.93 for every dollar spent, according to new analysis by the Acadia Center.

The report makes the case that states should not reduce efficiency spending when seeking to provide short-term rate relief, calling on lawmakers and officials to look for ways to fund programs more equitably.

The report, which relies on state-reported data on expected spending and benefits, found $6.6 billion in total expected spending across New England over the next three years.

The bulk of this spending — $4.5 billion — is concentrated in Massachusetts. The state also has the highest per-capita spending, followed by Maine and Rhode Island. New Hampshire has the lowest per- capita expected spending.

Different calculation methodologies make it difficult to compare program benefits among states, Acadia wrote. The group noted that calculations related to the social cost of carbon vary significantly between states, “ranging from a low of $0/short ton in New Hampshire to a high of $415 in Massachusetts.”

Despite these differences, “all states demonstrate a benefits/program budget ratio above 1.0, indicating that $1 invested in energy efficiency programs [generates] more value than the initial investment,” Acadia wrote.

The authors noted that Maine reported a particularly high benefit-to-budget ratio. They wrote that the state stands out for high reported benefits associated with electrification investments and a higher portion of the costs shared by participants in the program. While program participants are responsible for 15 to 35%of overall costs in other New England states, participants are responsible for 48% of costs in Maine.

The report also highlights ISO-NE data showing how the allocation of efficiency investments has changed in recent years. While traditional efficiency upgrades like insulation and appliance upgrades still make up most costs, the percentage of spending dedicated to electrification increased from 6% in 2020 to 30% in 2024.

Acadia also emphasized the climate, public health and employment benefits of efficiency investments, writing that efficiency programs “play an instrumental role in creating and sustaining the over ~161,000 energy efficiency industry jobs in the region that currently exist,” and that planned investments are expected to reduce emissions by about 25.3 million metric tons.

Efficiency improvements also lead to region-wide cost reductions in the ISO-NE wholesale markets, the authors wrote. However, quantifying these effects is made challenging by recent updates to ISO-NE’s load forecasting methodology, which “now omits reporting on annual and peak demand reductions from energy efficiency,” Acadia noted.

To ensure the longevity and maximum effectiveness of efficiency programs, “more focused attention will need to be paid toward how programs are funded, how ambition can be increased cost-effectively, who pays, and over what time period are costs incurred,” the authors wrote.

“New funding concepts and reforms in this arena will ensure that ratepayers continue to benefit greatly from efficiency as an energy resource while perhaps bearing less of a direct responsibility to invest in program budgets exclusively through electric and gas rates,” concludes the report.

To read the full article from RTO Insider, click here.

Energy efficiency is reducing Northeast peak demand, electricity bills: Acadia

Energy efficiency efforts in six New England states and New York are saving customers billions of dollars on utility bills and reducing peak demand on the region’s electric grid, according to analysis published Monday by Acadia Center.

Acadia’s report focuses on investment levels and projected benefits from efficiency programs in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. And it calls for improvements to efficiency data reporting that could unlock further energy savings.

“It is more important than ever for policymakers, advocates, program administrators, and consumers to understand the value and evolving role of energy efficiency resource acquisition and shape the future trajectories of the programs to meet the emerging needs of the region,” Jamie Dickerson, senior director of climate and clean energy programs at Acadia, said in a statement.

The report examines data in each state’s three-year energy efficiency plan, annual program reports and other filings. Acadia’s analysis shows the seven states are poised to invest almost $10 billion in efficiency overall, with New England programs alone generating an estimated $19.3 billion in lifetime benefits. New England and New York expect to realize 700 trillion Btu in lifetime savings across all fuels, including 20 TWh of lifetime electricity savings from efficiency investments in New England.

“Electric savings will help the region continue meeting a substantial portion of annual electric load via energy efficiency,” Acadia said. “Combining both electricity and combustible fuel savings, the New England states are projected to avoid 368 TBtu of lifetime energy use, and this projected total rises to 703 TBtu with the inclusion of New York State.”

Despite the savings, Acadia warned efficiency investment is under pressure.

“State energy efficiency programs make a major contribution to the energy system as a low-cost resource, yet face a pivotal juncture in the northeast region,” Dickerson said. “Consumer affordability is front of mind for consumers and policymakers with rising energy prices. Other energy resources are rising in cost, yet cuts to ratepayer funded programs — which reduce system costs — have been threatened and implemented by leading states.”

Massachusetts will lose out on $1.49 billion in lifetime benefits following a February decision to cut $500 million from efficiency program budgets, Acadia said. Similarly, Rhode Island efficiency programs face possible cuts of 30% that would lose the state about $92 million in benefits, according to the report.

Looking ahead, Acadia recommended that the New England states and New York “come together to better standardize metrics utilized for program measurement, evaluation, and reporting.”

“Major differences in reporting data persist, and the overall power and impact of energy efficiency in the northeast is limited without that alignment,” according to the report. “With more universal reporting methodologies and benefit cost tests, programs in the region would collectively be more powerful, the ability to understand the value and design of programs would be substantially improved, and new opportunities for states to learn from one another would be unlocked.

To read the full article from Utility Dive, click here.

Shave the Peak End-of-Summer Trend

This summer, we collected data every day from ISO-New England, the nonprofit Independent System Operator responsible for ensuring reliable electricity delivery across the six New England states. We tracked the forecasted high temperature, the forecasted and actual peak load, the time of said peak, the peak price of electricity and its timing, the CO₂ emissions at peak, the output of behind the meter (BTM) solar and its timing, and whether or not we sent out a Shave the Peak notification to our subscribers who receive alerts on when and how to reduce electricity use during times of high stress on the grid. Stay tuned to find out how many Shave the Peak alerts we sent out this summer! 

We’ve pulled together some statistics from this past summer (June-August) that highlight how much power demand can vary in the warmer months and how much that demand influences both electricity prices and pollution levels. By sharing these insights, we hope our followers can take these trends and turn them into action and, ultimately… You guessed it, Shave the Peak.  

For example, on the highest-peak day of June 24, solar played a critical role in the grid’s resilience during that time. According to the Acadia Center, behind-the-meter solar met around 22% of system load, translating to more than 5,000 MW of distributed solar generation. This helped suppress demand, prevented blackouts, and saved customers collectively between $8.2 million and potentially $19.4 million in energy costs. 

To read the full article from Green Energy Consumers Alliance, click here.

Advocates sound alarm over state’s proposed multi-million-dollar budget cuts: ‘It’s a retreat’

In an effort to mitigate rising power bills, the state of Rhode Island is cutting funding to recent energy-efficiency programs. However, critics believe it could cost the state millions, while only saving households around $2 a month.

Why is cutting energy-efficiency funding in Rhode Island concerning?

Advocates at the climate action nonprofit Acadia Center view the cuts as short-sighted, prioritizing short-term, small financial gains for the average customer over meaningful long-term cost reductions.

“Energy efficiency is a tool for suppressing supply costs, for suppressing infrastructure costs in the long-term,” explained Emily Koo, Acadia Center’s program director for Rhode Island.

To read the full article from The Cool Down, click here.

Plymouth residents likely face even higher utility bills this winter

Before autumn turns to winter, Beacon Hill lawmakers still have work to do if they hope to ease potentially higher utility bills, especially for customers served by Eversource.

According to state data, Eversource provides natural gas to about 640,000 customers in 121 Massachusetts cities and towns, including Plymouth. The utility recently filed a winter gas rate adjustment request with the Department of Public Utilities, which includes both standard supply cost changes and increases tied to maintenance and infrastructure.

“Mass Save doesn’t seem impressive on its face,” said Kyle Murray, state program implementation director at Acadia Center. “If we don’t continue to do this, you’re asking constituents 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now to bear significantly higher costs.”

To read the full article from the Plymouth Independent, click here.

Advocates Defend Energy Efficiency Programs in Massachusetts

Climate and consumer advocates called on Massachusetts lawmakers to preserve the state’s energy efficiency programs as legislators work to develop an energy affordability bill in response to high gas and electricity costs over the past winter.

Advocates have expressed concerns that lawmakers may roll back efficiency spending to provide short-term relief to ratepayers. They defended the state’s Mass Save efficiency program at a hearing held by the legislature’s Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (TUE) on Sept. 25.

Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation at the Acadia Center, emphasized the region-wide wholesale markets price suppression benefits of these investments.

He pointed to the ISO-NE capacity scarcity event June 24, when locational marginal prices spiked to $1,110/MWh between 6 and 7 p.m., and highlighted an Acadia analysis estimating that demand reductions associated with behind-the-meter solar saved the region $19.4 million during the day. (See Extreme Heat Triggers Capacity Deficiency in New England) and Behind-the-meter Solar Shines in ISO-NE Capacity Deficiency Event.)

“ISO-NE does not similarly track the impact of energy efficiency. However, make no mistake: But for those critical investments we have made in energy efficiency over the years, those price spikes would have been dramatically worse,” Murray said.

Rep. Jeffrey Turco (D) appeared more skeptical about efficiency investments, saying that “to the consumer, we keep hearing that we’re saving $3.41 for every dollar invested, but the cost of electricity is going up every year, and it’s by design.”

Increasing the cost of electricity in the short term in pursuit of long-term benefits causes consumer frustration “because the utility keeps going up, and despite saying, ‘Yes, we’re saving you money,’ the proof is not in the pudding on a monthly basis,” Turco said.

In response, Murray said, “One of the most difficult challenges of energy efficiency is that it’s difficult to prove a negative.” He stressed that while the value of efficiency can be hard to quantify precisely, “if we don’t continue to do this, you’re asking constituents in five, 10, 15, 20 years to bear significantly higher costs.”

To read the full article from RTO Insider, click here.

Escalating Conflict with Utilities Leads to Resignation of Top Conn. Regulator

The forthcoming resignation of Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chair Marissa Gillett has created high-stakes questions around the state’s adoption of a comprehensive performance-based regulation (PBR) framework, with three key votes set to occur just two days before Gillett is scheduled to step down.

Noah Berman, utility innovation program manager at the Acadia Center, said he would be “surprised to see a major pivot” in the PBR dockets from the proposed rulings.

“The question is whether the utilities decide to act in good faith on what is being established, or to put aside the years of work that have gone into these frameworks in favor of trying to delay and relitigate under a new chair,” Berman said.

He expressed concern about a “post-resignation inquiry” that Avangrid submitted in the three PBR dockets, which argues Gillett “must have no further involvement” in all open dockets involving the company.

To read the full article from RTO Insider, click here.

State energy efficiency programs face the chopping block

Both New York and Massachusetts this year have slashed budgets for their energy efficiency programs, and now a third state is poised to.

What’s happening: Rhode Island Energy, the state’s dominant power utility, is proposing funding cuts to its energy efficiency plan for 2026 — budgeting 18 percent below last year’s level and $42 million less than initially projected in 2023.

The other side: Nonprofit Acadia Center noted in an analysis that the state’s proposed cuts could put 833 jobs at risk and make customers’ electric and gas bills more expensive in future years, while Canary Media reported that the cuts would save the average household just $1.87 per month.

To read the full article from HomePros, click here.

Gas bills on the rise as temperatures drop for fall 2025-winter 2026

Winter will soon be here, and so too could higher heating bill for many across Massachusetts. Here’s how much they’re expected to spike going into 2026.

Policy Advocate Noah Berman, discussing cost cutting regulatory suggestions,

“When the pipes are at the end of their useful life instead of putting in a new gas system is to start to electrify those customers instead.”

To watch the full interview from NBC Boston, click here.