Risks Outlined in NYISO’s Comprehensive Reliability Plan Cannot be Ignored

December 1st, 2023

Statement attributed to Justin Wilcox Executive Director of Upstate United following The New York Independent System Operator’s (NYISO) recently released 2023-2032 Comprehensive Reliability Plan (CRP).

“NYISO has once again connected this startling reality to the public policies that are making it much more challenging to maintain grid reliability. As a result, we continue to repeat our request for Albany leaders to heed this wake-up call and change course before it’s too late.

The CRP makes it abundantly clear that we as a state have essentially put all our eggs in one basket by way of unrealistic goals set by the CLCPA and other policy initiatives that are changing the type of resource used for electricity generation. As the NYISO has indicated, the current rate of generator retirements exceeding the pace of new resource pose a significant threat to grid reliability.  This situation is simply unsustainable. Moreover, the finding of no long-term reliability violations rests on the timely completion and operation of the Champlain Hudson Power Express.

Over the last year, NYISO has published several reports pointing to issues with diminishing reliability margins, one of which identified a Near-Term Reliability Need for New York City. However, the recently released CRP has made evident that several scenarios and factors could lead to additional risks, including the potential for system-wide issues if large load projects (i.e.: data centers and microchip facilities being welcomed to Upstate communities) are taken into consideration.  When including these projects, statewide reliability margins approach deficiency as early as 2025 under high-demand scenarios.”