Report Highlights Strong Performance amid Elevated Grid Stress
Washington, D.C. — Turn Forward’s Energy Research Exchange today introduced a new report from Charles River Associates (CRA) showing how offshore wind can help reduce reliability risks and lower electricity costs during the Northeast’s most demanding grid conditions. Without offshore wind, according to the new research, New England energy costs would rise roughly 10% and New York State blackout risks would increase roughly 25%.
The new findings coincide with the onset of winter weather in the Northeast, which is causing increasing stress on the region’s electric grid. According to CRA, offshore wind performs strongly during severe cold weather periods when available natural gas supplies are often prioritized for residential heating. It also alleviates pressure on co-generation power plants to burn higher cost alternatives like fuel oil, saving ratepayers money while helping keep available supplies in circulation for homes and buildings that rely on heating oil.
“CRA’s new report highlights how locally generated resources like offshore wind can provide large-scale power during high-stress periods on the Northeast grid, boosting its reliability while helping to control power costs across New England and New York,” said Hillary Bright, Executive Director of Turn Forward. “Offshore wind is emerging as a critical solution to help us cope with surging electricity demand driven by data centers, electrification, and economic growth.”
The new report builds on a November publication by CRA that assessed generation options to bolster the strength and reliability of America’s electric grid in the face of an ‘imminent resource adequacy crisis’ caused by rising power demand and mounting challenges to reliable delivery.
“The research is clear: without offshore wind, the Northeast faces increased blackout risks, higher costs, and greater reliance on expensive backup plans during winter. Offshore wind isn’t just an indispensable power source for our energy-intensive economy,” concluded Bright. “It’s a net plus for electric reliability and affordability in New England and New York.”
CRA will present its findings from the “Impacts of Offshore Wind on Reliability and Affordability in ISO-NE and NYISO” at a public webinar on Thursday, December 4 at 2:00 PM ET – registration can be found here. The report is being released through Turn Forward’s Energy Research Exchange, launched this year to bring fresh, credible and nonpartisan analysis to critical questions facing U.S. energy policymakers today.
Read the full report here.
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Turn Forward is an independent, non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to advancing an ambitious vision for American offshore wind power that meets today’s energy, economic, and environmental challenges.
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