Legislation introduced by state lawmakers in New Hampshire calls for the New Hampshire Department of Energy to investigate the state's withdrawal from ISO New England.
Under the bill, H.B. 690, the state’s DOE will “investigate the state of New Hampshire's withdrawal from ISO-New England and other strategies to insulate ratepayers from costs associated with New England's environmental policy.”
Th legislation notes that an investigation may answer, among other things, the following questions:
• What are the current functions of ISO-New England? What function could New Hampshire itself not replace?
• What has happened when other utilities have left their Regional Transmission Organization? How do vertical utilities interact with their Regional Transmission Organization?
• What capabilities would the state of New Hampshire and its utilities need to develop?
• What are the benefits of leaving ISO-New England? Are there long-term costs associated with market outcomes that may be avoided? Are there direct costs associated with participating in ISO-New England that may be avoided?
• What costs would be associated with leaving ISO-New England? Would there be duplicative functions, exit fees, or operational costs?
• Would there be reliability impacts, negative or positive, associated with leaving?
• Would there be costs associated with ISO-New England that could not be avoided, even if New Hampshire were to leave?
• What are the benefits of participating in ISO-New England? What opportunities exist to improve outcomes?
