Yesterday, FERC signaled that it will rule on ISO New England's proposed interconnection reforms this week—on or before Friday, April 4.
In May 2024, ISO New England filed proposed tariff revisions at FERC in response to the Commission's Order No. 2023 (issued in July 2023 and affirmed on rehearing in March 2024), a landmark ruling requiring the nation's transmission providers to modernize their processes for interconnecting new generating capacity. However, FERC has not yet ruled on those proposed reforms—despite pleas by the New England States Committee on Electricity for a verdict, and despite the fact that ISO New England originally sought an effective date for the reforms of August 12, 2024.
Notably, Order No. 2023 encouraged transmission providers to institute cluster study processes for studying multiple interconnection requests simultaneously, a change intended to accelerate the integration of new generation capacity. (See our analyses of the Order here and here). ISO New England, which has long used (and continues to use) a serial process for studying interconnection requests, announced in September 2024 that it would not implement its proposed reforms until FERC gave the go-ahead.
If accepted, ISO New England's proposed reforms will radically change the process for interconnecting new energy projects in the New England control area. Foley Hoag will continue to analyze this proceeding as it develops.
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