A coalition of interested parties sent a letter of disagreement to ISO-NE objecting to the disqualification of their bids in the Long Term Transmission Planning (LTTP) Request for Proposals (RFP). The coalition consists of: National Grid Ventures, Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, ENE Transmission, and PowerBridge.
According to ISO-NE, the bids were disqualified because they failed to meet minimum grid stability requirements during technical testing. Stability standards are designed to ensure the electric grid can continue operating reliably during disturbances or unexpected outages.
The coalition says it identified technical adjustments that would resolve the issue without changing the overall project design or increasing costs. However, ISO-NE rejected the proposed revisions, calling them a “material modification” to the original bids and therefore not allowable under the rules of the solicitation process.
At today’s Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting, attended by a Preserve Rural Maine board member, representatives from the coalition asked ISO-NE to reconsider its decision. ISO-NE said it would not reopen the review.
asked what effect a possible appeal by National Grid to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) could have on both the LTTP process and the separate Northern Maine transmission solicitation. FERC is the federal agency responsible for overseeing interstate electricity markets and transmission reliability. ISO-NE responded that it does not know how a FERC appeal could affect the current timeline or planning process.
For residents and communities along potential transmission corridors, the dispute adds another layer of uncertainty. It could affect which projects ultimately move forward, how long the approval process takes, and whether future transmission routes could change. Rural communities are calling for projects to be planned carefully and transparently, with consideration for impacts on rural communities, forests, farmland, wildlife habitat, and scenic areas.
You can read the letter below:
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