NYISO releases trends report on the state of the power grid in New York

Published on June 10, 2022 by Dave Kovaleski

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) provided an update on trends related to the New York power grid in its annual report.

The report – called Power Trends 2022: The Path to a Reliable, Greener Grid for New York — focuses on the dramatic changes impacting New York’s power grid and NYISOʻs evolving role in fulfilling the state’s clean energy objectives.

“The NYISO is at the forefront of the clean energy transition, working to achieve state emissions mandates with a balanced approach that maintains electric system reliability,” Rich Dewey, president and CEO of the New York ISO, said. “We need to prepare the power system for risks to reliability while building the grid of the future, advancing the state’s economy, and supporting the health and safety of New Yorkers.”

NYISO has established new market rules that advance the state’s clean energy policies as wholesale electricity markets are open to significant investment in wind, solar, and battery storage. The transition to a cleaner grid in New York is leading to an electric system that is increasingly dynamic, decentralized, and reliant on weather-dependent renewable generation.

Also, NYISO notes that reliability margins are shrinking. Generators needed for reliability are planning to retire while delays in the construction of new supply and transmission, higher than expected demand, and extreme weather could threaten reliability and resilience in the future.
A successful transition of the electric system requires replacing the reliability attributes of existing fossil-fueled generation with clean resources with similar capabilities.

Further, it says that while new transmission is being built, more investment is necessary to support the delivery of offshore wind energy and to connect new resources upstate to downstate load centers where demand is greatest.

“The NYISO is leading the way to meet the challenges brought by the clean energy transition. NYISO’s leadership in developing innovative market design enhancements, like the Comprehensive Mitigation Reform proposal, demonstrates its expertise in grid operations, market design, and system planning,” NYISO officials said. “That success also shows the NYISO’s ability to work across all sectors and interested parties to build consensus that supports reliability, consumer interests, climate policies, and new technologies that will help build the grid of the future.”