EarlyBird News
NE Electricity Prices Set to Increase in Response to Capacity Auction
February 6, 2014The Independent System Operator for New England (ISO-NE) released results on Wednesday, February 5 for the eighth Forward Capacity Auction for June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018 it held on February 3. The auction produced 33,702 MW in capacity, 153 MW fewer than ISO-NE expects will be needed for the year mentioned above (33,855 […]
Janus Contributes to Natural Gas Price Spike
January 22, 2014New Power Capacity Zone in New York to Increase Prices
December 5, 2013The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decided on August 13, 2013 to allow the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) to create a new capacity zone in the Lower Hudson Valley that includes New York City. The new zone will include current NYISO zones G, H, I, the three of which cover the Lower […]
Power Prices Rise on Heels of an Algonquin Basis Increase
November 18, 2013Forward power prices in New England spiked on Thursday and Friday due to a surge in Algonquin (AGT) gas basis. Basis for December almost doubled from Wednesday to Friday, increasing by $4.50/MMBtu, and the Algonquin winter strip (November-March) increased by $2.71/MMBtu as well. Traders, worried about pipeline constraints, did not want to get caught short, […]
Power Deregulation in VT?
November 13, 2013Vermont is considering deregulating electricity. The chairman of the House’s top energy committee, Rep. Tony Klein (an East Montpelier Democrat), thinks it may be time to deregulate the utility market to allow the state’s largest consumers to negotiate electricity pricing with suppliers. He presented a proposal for a program on Tuesday at the Capitol Plaza […]
EarlyBird Power Talks to NPR about NE’s Dependence on Gas and Rising Winter Electric Rates
November 11, 2013Shaun Pandit, CEO/Director of EarlyBird Power, spoke with Fred Bever of 90.9 WBUR about the causes behind the rising Boston- and New England-area electricity prices this winter. An article published November 8 highlighted the reasons for increasing winter electric rates with excerpts from National Grid and ISO New England personnel in addition to Pandit. Electricity […]
NGRID Announces Winter Rates
October 1, 2013National Grid has just announced proposed rates for the winter. For medium (G2) and large general (G3) service accounts, fixed prices are as follows: SEMA (11/1/13 – 1/31/14): $0.09895 per kWh WCMA (11/1/13 – 1/31/14): $0.09804 per kWh NEMA (11/1/13 – 1/31/14): $0.09960 per kWh Here are the variable rates for these classes (November, December, […]
Higher Electricity Prices Forthcoming? FERC Conditionally Accepts ISO-NE’s Winter Reliability Program
September 25, 2013ISO-NE’s proposed reliability program for the 2013/2014 winter has been tentatively accepted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as an adequate solution to the reliability challenges coming this winter. The program hopes to alleviate potential problems with operational challenges in the winter that could arise because of the heavy reliance on natural gas-produced electricity in […]
ACEEE Names Boston Most Energy-Efficient City in the U.S.
September 19, 2013A new report issued by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked Boston the top energy-efficient city in the United States. Boston scored very high among U.S. cities in all five categories considered in the evaluation, including first in Community Initiatives and Energy Water Utilities & Public Benefits Program, second in Transportation, third in […]
Entergy to Close Vermont Plant; Will an Increase in Energy and Capacity Prices in NEPOOL Result?
August 27, 2013Today, Entergy Corporation, an electric power producer and retail distributor, announced that it was closing its Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, Vermont. The station is expected to shutdown in the fourth quarter of 2014; in the meantime, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will monitor the station throughout the process of decommission in order […]