Did You Know

NYISO Notes Significant Progress in Annual State-of-the-Grid Report

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has released its annual state-of-the-grid report titled “Power Trends: New York’s Success & Unfinished Business.” The report outlines significant milestones that have been made to ensure the fairness of the state’s wholesale electric markets and to ensure the safety and reliability of the state’s energy supply.

The report examines industry conditions in generation, transmission, regional planning, environmental stewardship and the markets.

This year’s report confirms that the NYISO — created in 1999 to manage generation dispatch, transmission system operations and the wholesale power market in the state — has made important steps to identify and resolve major industry issues. These steps range from planning for adequate electric generation, encouraging demand-side management, breaking down barriers to the regional trade of electricity and developing renewable sources.

The report stresses, however, that although substantial progress has been made, more work is needed to address the volatile issues that continue to affect consumers and industry, both in New York and nationally.

“The overarching theme … is to point out the great deal of success that has been achieved since 1999,” said William J. Museler, president and CEO of the NYISO, in a press release on the report. “… [We] must remain committed to the swift and fair resolution of the unfinished business we’ve identified.”

The NYISO has been calling for the immediate siting of up to 8,600 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity since 2001. It also has called for more development and stressed the need to reauthorize the state’s Article X power plant siting law, which provided a streamlined process to review, approve and locate new generation facilities. Although this year’s report listed the 3,000 MW of capacity either built or under construction as a significant accomplishment since the first report, it still calls for the immediate passage of the Article X power plant siting legislation, which expired in December 2002.

The report concludes that “unfinished business” remains and has compiled a list of “Big Four” recommendations: 1) federal reliability standards must be mandatory; 2) NYISO must continue to evaluate and enhance the state grid’s performance as a result of the Aug. 14, 2003, blackout; 3) Article X must be reinstated; and, 4) NYISO must institute a comprehensive planning process that leads to ongoing operation of fair, equitable markets and a safe, reliable electric system. For a copy of the full report, visit the NYISO Web site at www.nyiso.com.