MARIE J. FRENCH reports today in Politico Pro
The state’s independent grid operator has officially identified a shortfall of electric generating capacity for New York City in 2025, which will likely prevent some highly polluting power plants from retiring.
The New York Independent System Operator, which is tasked with ensuring there’s enough electricity available even during heatwaves when people crank up their air conditioners, has been warning about the potential issue for years. The forecasted shortfall is driven by rising demand and the planned retirement of the fleet of older peaker power plants in response to state environmental rules aimed at reducing harmful co-pollutants in the downstate region.
The NYISO process will seek solutions from the market to address the identified reliability need. Given permitting and other hurdles in New York City, it’s likely that some of the peaker plants will remain online in 2025.
The NYISO’s 169-page report released Friday identifies a need for 446 megawatts of electricity for nine hours during a peak demand day in 2025 when two generators or transmission lines are unexpectedly offline and the temperature hits 95 degrees. The shortfall would be even greater if the city experiences a more intense heatwave.
“To be clear: The reliability of our grid is not in question,” Hochul spokesperson Katy Zielinski said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring New Yorkers have a reliable and affordable power supply — and we can do this while accomplishing our nation-leading climate goals. Governor Hochul remains fully committed to rapidly decreasing emissions and setting an example for how clean energy and reliability can go hand-in-hand.”
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