ISO-NE filed the results of its ninth Forward Capacity Auction with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday, starting the clock on a 45-day comment period (ER15-1137).

The RTO said 34,695 MW of capacity was acquired region-wide in the Feb. 2 auction, including more than 1,400 MW of new resources needed to help replace generators that have recently retired or will retire in the next few years. The total cost for the 2018-2019 commitment period is about $4 billion, up more than one-third from the $3 billion for the 2017-2018 commitment period. (See Prices up One-Third in ISO-NE Capacity Auction.)

The RTO cleared at $9.55/kW-month outside of the Southeastern Massachusetts/Rhode Island (SEMA/RI) zone, where a shortage of resources triggered administrative pricing rules that resulted in a price of $17.73/kW-month for new resources and $11.08/kW-month for existing resources.

ISO-NE’s capacity auction results are subject to commission review under the just and reasonable standard, the result of a 2006 settlement to address stakeholder concerns over New England’s market design. Objections to the auction results must be filed with FERC by April 13.

The results of FCA 8 became effective as an “operation of law” in September when the commission — then short one member — deadlocked 2-2 over whether to reject the results due to unchecked market power. (See FERC Commissioners at Odds over ISO-NE Capacity Auction).