Should New Hampshire leave ISO-NE?

A group of six Republican state lawmakers is putting forward a bill that would create a commission to study that question.

The commission would investigate whether it would be feasible for the state to withdraw from ISO-NE and become its own independent grid operator, market administrator and power system planner.

In a hearing of the Science, Technology and Energy Committee on Monday, the primary sponsor Rep. J.D. Bernardy (R) said that costs to consumers are what’s motivating his effort to consider separating from New England’s grid.

“In my campaign, one of the key issues I faced was explaining to constituents why there were skyrocketing costs of electric power,” he said during an informational hearing.

If New Hampshire — a net exporter of power to the rest of the region — were to withdraw from ISO-NE, it could harness the electricity produced in-state to power its own economy and households, he argued.

“Peak power in New Hampshire is a little over 2,000, 2,100 MW. What does Seabrook [Nuclear Power Plant] produce? About 1,200. That’s about 60% of the power for New Hampshire,” Bernardy said.

The proposal was met with significant skepticism by the other members of the committee, who noted that Seabrook’s power is contracted out to buyers in a number of other states and couldn’t necessarily be contained to New Hampshire.

Other committee members also pointed out that there would be immense legal and logistical challenges associated with separating from the regional grid operator.

“By withdrawing from the ISO, we would be blowing a big hole in the regional power system,” Rep. Tony Caplan (D) said.

And, he asked, “how would we be able to provide lower rates for New Hampshire ratepayers given that the administration and regulation and all those services we would have to provide ourselves?”

Maine and Connecticut have both taken on similar assessments — Maine in 2007-8 and Connecticut in 2020 — and neither decided to move forward, said Joshua Elliott, director of the division of policy and programs at the New Hampshire Department of Energy.

Elliott said the agency is neutral on the bill because it would only involve studying the subject. If the legislature does move forward with the proposal, he suggested that it consider recruiting consultants to help put forward a more “substantive” end product.

The other sponsors of the bill are Republicans James Summers, Susan Porcelli, Fred Plett, Jason Janvrin and Yury Polozov.