8月22日，2014
新英格兰州更加依赖加拿大进口水电和天然气发电
在过去十年，新英格兰用天然气发电更多，并且从魁北克进口了更多的水电。这两种电力来源正在替代以煤炭和石油作为燃料的发电。
近期和规划的大规模电厂关停，将致使新英格兰独立电力系统运营商（ISO-NE）持续依赖来自魁北克的水电。装机容量745MW的Salem Harbor 发电站以煤炭和石油作为发电燃料，这座电站已经在6月1日停止运行。装机容量605MW的Vermont Yankee核电站将在2014年底关停，1520MW的Brayton Point煤气油混燃电站预计在2017年关停。为了弥补这些电站停用产生的用电缺口，ISO-NE已经建设了几条输电线，这包括增加从加拿大输电能力的1200MW北输电线。魁北克水电（Hydro-Quebec ）拥有超过36000MW的装机容量，并且自上世纪80年代就已经向新英格兰和纽约送电。
新英格兰州限制远期使用化石燃料发电有以下原因。进入新英格兰的天然气管线输送能力有限，使得天然气价格偏高，天然气发电成本相对更大。同时，该州可再生能源法案规定，可再生能源必须在本州能源总量中占到一定的比例。各郡可再生能源使用的目标和实际情况各异。例如，罗德岛可再生能源使用目标是2020年达到16%，新罕不什尔目标是2025年达到24.8%；两郡对水电设施大小都做了限制。
一些郡甚至有为可再生资源目标制定的资源能效标准，既能发挥可再生能源标准作用，又可推进能源效率提高。在过去十年，新英格兰整个系统电力需求几无变化，能源效率在2004-2012年间增长了3%，这是其中一个原因。
新英格兰是区域温室气体减排行动（RGGI）参与者之一，这是一个建立在市场基础上的监管项目，即设定电厂的二氧化碳排放上限。这个上限随时间降低，以鼓励更多的电来自低碳或零碳资源。
撰稿人：米希尔·格鲁伯特（ Michael Grubert），比尔·布斯（ Bill Booth）
AUGUST 22, 2014
New England relying more on naturalgas along with hydroelectric imports from Canada
Electric operators in New England have been bothgenerating more electricity from natural gas and importing more hydroelectricgeneration from Quebec over the past decade. These two sources of electricityare displacing the use of coal and oil as generation fuels in New England.
Recent and planned closures of large power plants maycause the independent system operator for New England (ISO-NE) to continue torely on an increasing amount of hydropower from Quebec. The 745-megawatt (MW)coal- and oil-fueled Salem Harbor Power Station ceased operation on June 1.Pending shutdowns include the 605-MW Vermont Yankee nuclear facility, expected to be shut down at the endof 2014, and the 1,520-MW Brayton Point coal- and naturalgas/oil-fired power plant, expected to be shut down in 2017.To make up for the loss of these generators, ISO-NE has proposed constructingseveral transmission lines, including the 1,200-MW Northern Pass, to increasetransmission of electricity from Canada. Hydro-Quebec has more than 36,000 MW of installed hydroelectriccapacity and has been exporting electricity to New England and New York sincethe 1980s.
New England states have several reasons to further limittheir use of electricity generated from fossil fuels. Constraints on some ofthe pipelines delivering natural gas into New England have contributed tohigher natural gas prices and made electricity relatively more expensive. Also,all New England states have renewable portfolio standards (or in Vermont, anonbinding goal) requiring that a certain percentage of their electricity comesfrom renewable sources. Goals and qualifying renewable sources differ by state. Forinstance, Rhode Island*s goal is 16% renewable electricity by 2020 and NewHampshire*s is 24.8% by 2025; both states have limits on the size ofhydroelectric facilities whose generation qualifies.
Several New England states also have energy efficiency resource standards or goals, which act like renewable portfolio standards,but are for implementing energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is among thereasons for relatively little change in total system demand over the pastdecade in New England, despite 3% growth in total population from 2004 to 2012.
Finally, New England states are part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based regulatory program that places acap on carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector. The cap is reduced over time,encouraging states to generate more of their electricity using low- orzero-carbon sources.
Principal contributors: Michael Grubert, Bill Booth
新英格兰州更加依赖加拿大进口水电和天然气发电
在过去十年，新英格兰用天然气发电更多，并且从魁北克进口了更多的水电。这两种电力来源正在替代以煤炭和石油作为燃料的发电。
近期和规划的大规模电厂关停，将致使新英格兰独立电力系统运营商（ISO-NE）持续依赖来自魁北克的水电。装机容量745MW的Salem Harbor 发电站以煤炭和石油作为发电燃料，这座电站已经在6月1日停止运行。装机容量605MW的Vermont Yankee核电站将在2014年底关停，1520MW的Brayton Point煤气油混燃电站预计在2017年关停。为了弥补这些电站停用产生的用电缺口，ISO-NE已经建设了几条输电线，这包括增加从加拿大输电能力的1200MW北输电线。魁北克水电（Hydro-Quebec ）拥有超过36000MW的装机容量，并且自上世纪80年代就已经向新英格兰和纽约送电。
新英格兰州限制远期使用化石燃料发电有以下原因。进入新英格兰的天然气管线输送能力有限，使得天然气价格偏高，天然气发电成本相对更大。同时，该州可再生能源法案规定，可再生能源必须在本州能源总量中占到一定的比例。各郡可再生能源使用的目标和实际情况各异。例如，罗德岛可再生能源使用目标是2020年达到16%，新罕不什尔目标是2025年达到24.8%；两郡对水电设施大小都做了限制。
一些郡甚至有为可再生资源目标制定的资源能效标准，既能发挥可再生能源标准作用，又可推进能源效率提高。在过去十年，新英格兰整个系统电力需求几无变化，能源效率在2004-2012年间增长了3%，这是其中一个原因。
新英格兰是区域温室气体减排行动（RGGI）参与者之一，这是一个建立在市场基础上的监管项目，即设定电厂的二氧化碳排放上限。这个上限随时间降低，以鼓励更多的电来自低碳或零碳资源。
撰稿人：米希尔·格鲁伯特（ Michael Grubert），比尔·布斯（ Bill Booth）
AUGUST 22, 2014
New England relying more on naturalgas along with hydroelectric imports from Canada
Electric operators in New England have been bothgenerating more electricity from natural gas and importing more hydroelectricgeneration from Quebec over the past decade. These two sources of electricityare displacing the use of coal and oil as generation fuels in New England.
Recent and planned closures of large power plants maycause the independent system operator for New England (ISO-NE) to continue torely on an increasing amount of hydropower from Quebec. The 745-megawatt (MW)coal- and oil-fueled Salem Harbor Power Station ceased operation on June 1.Pending shutdowns include the 605-MW Vermont Yankee nuclear facility, expected to be shut down at the endof 2014, and the 1,520-MW Brayton Point coal- and naturalgas/oil-fired power plant, expected to be shut down in 2017.To make up for the loss of these generators, ISO-NE has proposed constructingseveral transmission lines, including the 1,200-MW Northern Pass, to increasetransmission of electricity from Canada. Hydro-Quebec has more than 36,000 MW of installed hydroelectriccapacity and has been exporting electricity to New England and New York sincethe 1980s.
New England states have several reasons to further limittheir use of electricity generated from fossil fuels. Constraints on some ofthe pipelines delivering natural gas into New England have contributed tohigher natural gas prices and made electricity relatively more expensive. Also,all New England states have renewable portfolio standards (or in Vermont, anonbinding goal) requiring that a certain percentage of their electricity comesfrom renewable sources. Goals and qualifying renewable sources differ by state. Forinstance, Rhode Island*s goal is 16% renewable electricity by 2020 and NewHampshire*s is 24.8% by 2025; both states have limits on the size ofhydroelectric facilities whose generation qualifies.
Several New England states also have energy efficiency resource standards or goals, which act like renewable portfolio standards,but are for implementing energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is among thereasons for relatively little change in total system demand over the pastdecade in New England, despite 3% growth in total population from 2004 to 2012.
Finally, New England states are part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based regulatory program that places acap on carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector. The cap is reduced over time,encouraging states to generate more of their electricity using low- orzero-carbon sources.
Principal contributors: Michael Grubert, Bill Booth
