The NYISO Operating Committee has approved the final Locational Capacity Requirements for the 2025/26 capability year. These were the same LCR values presented earlier to the ICAP working group.  

The LCRs, expressed as a percentage of the peak load forecast, represent the minimum capacity New York’s generators and load-serving entities must maintain within each of the downstate zones, which have transmission constraints.  

“I’m going to vote yes because the ISO did the LCR study consistent with all its rules,” said Mark Younger of consulting firm Hudson Energy Economics. “However, I am quite concerned that we still have a major inconsistency between the transmission security needs that are represented in the TSLs [transmission security limits] and ultimately affect the LCR.” 

Younger said this had been an issue for several years, had been undercutting price signals and was more important now because the ISO had found a reliability need in its most recent RNA. 

Operations Report, December 2024

NYISO also presented the monthly Operations Report for the previous month. The peak load, 23,065 MW, occurred Dec. 23, 2024. 

Over the last month of 2024, 2,736 MW of land-based wind, 136 MW of offshore wind, 6,048 MW of behind-the-meter solar and 571 MW of front-of-the-meter solar were installed. Additionally, 63 MW of energy storage was installed.  

Aaron Markham, vice president of operations, noted that NYISO was taking preparatory action for severe winter weather. NYISO said it was prepared to meet anticipated demand for the current cold snap.  

NYISO expected demand to peak at 24,400 MW on Jan. 21 and 24,200 MW on Jan. 22. 

NYISO’s 2024/25 Winter Assessment found that 29,514 MW of resources were available statewide; 2,275 MW were available through emergency dispatch.