EJLPC presses New York to widen transmission review before new grid spending

The Energy Justice Law and Policy Center is urging New York regulators to fully compare bulk transmission options before approving major grid investments that could shape electricity bills, reliability and fossil-fuel retirements. The group says a broader review could lower costs, speed cleaner power into downstate load centers and reduce the chance that aging polluting plants stay online longer.

Why it matters: - New York’s next transmission decisions could affect electricity costs, grid reliability and how quickly aging fossil-fuel plants can retire. - A broader review of bulk transmission could shift more lower-cost, cleaner power from upstate into downstate markets. - The outcome could also affect pollution exposure and public-health benefits in communities already burdened by emissions.

What happened: - The Energy Justice Law and Policy Center filed comments with the New York Public Service Commission last week. - EJLPC is asking the Commission to require a fuller evaluation of bulk transmission alternatives before major new grid investments move forward. - The group wants the New York Independent System Operator to solicit and evaluate bulk transmission options through the state’s Public Policy Transmission Needs process. - The filing argues that New York’s Coordinated Grid Planning Process does not adequately compare local transmission projects with larger bulk transmission solutions. - EJLPC also published a companion op-ed by Raya Salter, titled “New York’s Grid Plan Must Protect Overburdened Communities,” for potential publication by media outlets.

The details: - EJLPC says bulk transmission was considered later than local projects in the current planning process. - The filing says the analysis only captured a narrow portion of transmission’s potential benefits. - EJLPC says the plan assumes substantial development of downstate resources that may not be commercially or practically available on the needed timeline. - The group backs further evaluation of Zone E-J transmission, which could move lower-cost and cleaner electricity from upstate New York toward New York City and other downstate load centers. - EJLPC cites federal analysis that identified the corridor as the highest-value within-region transmission link in the country. - NYISO has projected growing transmission security deficiencies affecting New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley in the early 2030s. - New York Power Authority plans to deactivate seven small gas plants in New York City and Long Island by the end of 2030. - Those plants total more than 500 megawatts. - Other generating units have already received extensions because of reliability needs, keeping them online longer in communities already burdened by pollution. - EJLPC also supports additional Zone C-E transmission to relieve west-to-east constraints and strengthen the backbone of the state’s electric system. - The organization is asking regulators for a comprehensive benefit-cost analysis that compares competitively proposed bulk transmission projects with local solutions identified through the existing planning process. - That analysis should include construction costs, reliability, system savings, fossil-plant retirements, pollution reductions, public-health benefits and benefits to disadvantaged communities. - New York’s Climate Action Council has estimated that implementation of the state’s climate law could generate $50 billion to $110 billion in public-health benefits from improved air quality through 2050. - Raya Salter said transmission decisions made now will shape electricity bills, reliability and which power plants remain online for years to come.

Between the lines: - EJLPC’s filing is a push to broaden the state’s definition of grid value beyond near-term construction cost and reliability metrics. - The group is arguing that failing to fully compare bulk transmission could lock New York into more expensive and more polluting choices. - The emphasis on public-health benefits suggests the policy fight is also about who bears the costs of slower plant retirements.

What’s next: - The Public Service Commission can decide whether to require a fuller bulk transmission review and direct NYISO to expand its solicitation process. - If regulators adopt EJLPC’s approach, New York would weigh broader economic, health and community impacts before committing to major grid investments. - EJLPC says a timely transmission process that properly evaluates bulk transmission could help New York build a reliable and affordable electric system without unnecessary dependence on aging fossil generation.

The bottom line: - New York is being urged to test bigger transmission options first, on the theory that the wrong grid investment now could mean higher bills, slower clean-energy progress and longer life for polluting power plants.