Energy on tap at Capitol workshop

(August 1, 2007) How can Connecticut and the New England region meet their growing power needs in affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly ways?

That will be one of the main topics when the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board (CEAB) hosts an energy workshop on Thursday, Aug. 9, at 12:30 p.m. in the state Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Most of the workshop will review regional power manager ISO New England's (ISO-NE) analysis of the region's options for meeting its main electric power goals of affordability, reliability, and environmental compliance. Achieving those goals is difficult because the region lacks its own fuel supplies, depends on imported fossil fuels, and has stringent environmental regulations.

ISO-NE will focus on the challenges policy-makers face in trying to strike an appropriate balance between economic and environmental concerns while ensuring reliability. Options to be discussed include reducing demand, installing new transmission lines, increasing renewable resources, and building new gas-fired, coal or nuclear power plants.

And participants will examine how these various options could affect the costs of providing power, the system's overall reliability, and the environment.

ISO-NE will also address its draft proposal for complying with a recent order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Earlier this year, FERC issued Order 890 on Preventing Undue Discrimination and Preference in Transmission Service. The order requires all transmission providers to amend their existing open access transmission tariffs to implement a coordinated, open and transparent transmission planning process.

To pre-register for the event (required), call CEAB at 860-571-7147 by Monday, Aug 6.

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