Our regional energy grid operator, ISO-NE, is determined to keep us hooked on polluting fossil fuels. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the governing body that has authority over ISO-NE, and FERC currently has TWO open proceedings that will have huge implications on our energy system for years to come:
- ISO-NE is attempting to delay eliminating a policy (called the Minimum Offer Price Rule, or MOPR) that privileges fossil fuel projects in our energy market, making it very hard for big renewable energy projects to come online. This new decision would effectively deny capacity revenues for state-sponsored wind and solar until the 2025 auction, which will select projects for 2028. Without these payments, adding renewable energy to the system is nearly impossible, and we don’t have time to wait. FERC needs to tell ISO-NE to get rid of MOPR now!
- The most recent annual ISO-NE energy auction took place in February, and again the Merrimack Generating Station in Bow, NH was selected to receive subsidies to stay online. This coal plant emits as much CO2 in one hour as the average American does in 26 years. ISO-NE needs to stop using ratepayer money to prop up polluting power plants!
The public comment period for both of these issues is open now – it is critical that FERC hear from as many people as possible so that they use their power to protect our communities and our future.
Join the Fix the Grid Campaign for a FERC Comment Party on Thursday, April 14th at 7pm on Zoom to ask any questions you have, draft your comments, and get support through the tricky FERC submission process! Register here, and share the information with your friends.
You can also submit a comment on your own using our detailed toolkit – it includes more detailed background on both of these issues, specific talking points, and submission instructions.
The deadline for the MOPR docket is 5pm on April 21st, and for the auction it’s 5pm on May 5th.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Mireille Bejjani at Community Action Works (mireille@communityactionworks.org) with any questions!
Thanks for taking action and hope to see you at the comment party. If you’re planning to attend, please review the toolkit ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the background info.
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Mireille Bejjani (she/they)
Energy Justice Director and Community Organizer, Community Action Works
(413) 253-4458 (office) | (914) 310-8439 (cell)
mireille@communityactionworks.org | communityactionworks.org
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