Press Releases
06/16/2023
Advocates Push for Consumer-Focused Discussions Ahead of FERC Winter Reliability Forum
New Britain, CT) – Today, the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel, the New Hampshire Office of the Consumer Advocate, the Maine Office of the Public Advocate, and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office issued joint recommendations for consideration ahead of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) upcoming 2023 New England Winter Gas-Electric Forum – to discuss continued concerns about the reliability of power grid operations during the winter months.
The regional forum – convening on June 20, 2023 – will cover recent analyses and findings regarding upcoming winter and extreme weather risks, our region’s electric and gas systems, market design, and infrastructure. The goal of the forum is to discuss the scope of the region’s winter reliability challenges, identify potential solutions, and consider the timing of their implementation.
In advance of the Winter Forum, four New England Consumer Advocates released consumer-focused considerations to promote and emphasize the need for consumer-centric dialogue at the Winter Forum and in future discussions on winter energy security in New England. The consumer considerations include:
Base Decisions on Rigorous Winter Reliability Risk Analysis: Before consumers are made to pay for costly investments in additional winter reliability solutions, there must be rigorous analysis quantifying the costs, benefits, and risks associated with those proposed investments.
Avoid Overlapping and Duplicative Winter Reliability Solutions: Consumers should not bear additional costs for new winter reliability solutions given the existence of multiple redundant programs, their unproven reliability benefits, and questionable need based on recent analyses by ISO-NE. To minimize ratepayer burden, improvements to existing markets should be prioritized over additional out-of-market solutions.
Involve Consumer Advocates in Winter Reliability Discussions: With their unique legal responsibility within their states to represent the interests of utility consumers, New England’s Consumer Advocates should have a more prominent role in discussions regarding proposed winter reliability measures. New England consumers deserve a real voice in these conversations regardless of forum.
“As the voice for Connecticut’s ratepayers, I am keenly aware of two things: Maintaining reliable energy resources during the winter months is fundamental to the health of consumers and our region’s power grid, and the financial burden for supporting out of market programs falls squarely on consumer’s shoulders,” said Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman. “Due to this reality, I stand with our regional counterparts in calling for intense scrutiny of each winter energy security proposal – with ratepayer impact at the forefront of that review. ISO-New England must prioritize long-term market-based solutions that support the transition to more reliable, clean and affordable energy."
“Nobody wants the electricity to go off, especially in extreme winter weather,” said New Hampshire Consumer Advocate Donald Kreis. “But I am concerned that ratepayers are being charged too much for winter reliability. Consumers need winter reliability mechanisms that are well-tailored to the challenges that extreme weather presents, as opposed to measures that force customers to pay for expensive measures that are not necessary. I commend FERC for again focusing on this problem, given its importance to New England’s electric customers.”
“As the ratepayer advocate for Massachusetts, I, along with my office, know that our over-reliance on natural gas has a significant financial and environmental burden on our residents and our region,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “As FERC, ISO- New England, and the region’s many stakeholders consider winter reliability and potential solutions, it is imperative that these conversations center around rigorous analysis of consumer costs and benefits and that consumer advocates have a meaningful seat at the table.”
“We are pleased to welcome FERC to Portland to receive public input regarding these critical issues,” said Maine Public Advocate William Harwood. “I am hopeful that forums such as this one can lead to a clearer understanding of the need to ensure that customers are only asked to fund those solutions that address winter reliability concerns in the most cost effective manner possible.”
More information and the full list of considerations can be found here.
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