ISO-NE Sees No Demand Growth Over Next 10 Years
November 11, 2013
Average electric demand in New England is expected to remain flat over the next 10 years due to increased use of energy efficiency programs, ISO-New England said. “When the effects of energy efficiency are included, the forecast shows essentially no long-run growth in electric energy use and 0.9 percent annual growth in annual summer peak demand,” according to the grid operator. The ISO’s annual regional system plan also said distributed generation, mostly from solar power at residential, corporate and government sites, is growing rapidly in New England and is expected to reach more than 2,000 MW by the end of 2021, up from the current 250 MW. That represents about 7 percent of the ISO's all-time peak demand record of 28,130 MW, which was set in summer 2006.