A group of Connecticut lawmakers urged ISO-NE last week to take action in the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling barring the EPA from requiring generation shifting to reduce carbon emissions. (See Supreme Court Rejects EPA Generation Shifting.)
In a letter to CEO Gordon van Welie, the legislators asked ISO-NE to “move more aggressively to adopt market reforms that will increase our reliance on renewable energy sources and establish carbon emission standards for power plants.”
The letter is the latest development in the continuous back and forth between ISO-NE and the New England states over the right approach and appropriate jurisdiction for greening the region’s electricity markets. (See NE States, ISO-NE Start to Wrestle with Next Steps on Pathways.)
The Connecticut lawmakers pointed to work they’ve already done as a state, such as power purchase agreements, and a region, such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, but said it’s not enough.
“The Supreme Court’s decision puts the ISOs and RTOs in the driver’s seat when it comes to shifting how this country procures energy,” the letter says. “The time to act is now. And it is our hope that ISO-NE will be our partners in that process.”
The letter was led by House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D) and Energy and Technology Committee Chair David Arconti (D), with 44 other state representatives signing on.
