The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has accepted a proposal to establish ISO New England as the independent reviewer of asset condition projects in the region.
Asset condition projects are undertaken by transmission owners to replace or reconstruct transmission facilities that have reached end of life or are obsolete.
The ISO filed the proposal with FERC in August at the request of the New England states and stakeholders.
In statements concurring with the FERC order, Commissioners Judy Chang and David Rosner praised the extensive stakeholder engagement process that led to the proposal — the first of its kind the U.S. They also urged other regions to adopt similar processes, the grid operator said.
Chang wrote that, as the asset condition reviewer, ISO-NE will “provide stakeholders with an unbiased and expert review of the need for new asset condition transmission projects, as well as a review of potential alternative solutions.”
“States and consumer advocates have long voiced concerns about the need for additional transparency and scrutiny of these utility-planned projects, and ISO-NE listened,” Rosner wrote. “In the context of growing demand and an aging electric grid, building trust and confidence in the need for infrastructure will only serve to expedite permitting and improve the likelihood that projects are ultimately constructed.”
Changes to the ISO tariff and Transmission Operating Agreement related to the asset condition reviewer role will take effect Jan. 1.
Additional information is available on the Asset Condition Reviewer Key Project page.
