Episode 6: State of the Grid with Rich Dewey, Outlines NYISO Initiatives to Meet Climate & Policy Goals

02/05/20 • 19 min

In 2020, the pace of change on the power grid is being driven by aggressive legislation and the ways in which clean energy resources are being economically reevaluated.

In the past, reliability at the lowest-cost solution for ratepayers was paramount, but the urgency of climate change has shifted policies, priorities, and resources. How the transition plays out will be shaped by innovation and economic drivers. In Episode 6 of the Power Trends Podcast, NYISO President & CEO Rich Dewey shares his vision for addressing this radical evolution.
Dewey explains how our 20-year history of navigating changes in markets and policy have benefited significantly from our shared governance structure which brings diverse perspectives and interests to the table to drive innovation. Through this process, stakeholders collaborate with the NYISO to address complex problems by reconciling conflicting points of view in a manner that effectively drives consensus in the end.

With the impending influx of renewables, and their inherent intermittency, the NYISO is pursuing a variety of solutions with its stakeholders. Our grid in transition initiatives include:

Our carbon pricing proposal, which continues to build support
Rules for participation of aggregations of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) including solar and storage, and Energy Storage Resources (ESR) in markets, both of which were recently accepted by FERC (subject to further compliance filings)
A variety of market structures to address the intermittency of renewables and with products that promote quick start pricing to reliability response and a more flexible and resilient grid

Learn More

Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO
Read our blogs and watch our videos
Check out our 2040 grid page

In 2020, the pace of change on the power grid is being driven by aggressive legislation and the ways in which clean energy resources are being economically reevaluated.

With the impending influx of renewables, and their inherent intermittency, the NYISO is pursuing a variety of solutions with its stakeholders. Our grid in transition initiatives include:

Our carbon pricing proposal, which continues to build support
Rules for participation of aggregations of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) including solar and storage, and Energy Storage Resources (ESR) in markets, both of which were recently accepted by FERC (subject to further compliance filings)
A variety of market structures to address the intermittency of renewables and with products that promote quick start pricing to reliability response and a more flexible and resilient grid

Learn More

Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO
Read our blogs and watch our videos
Check out our 2040 grid page

Previous Episode

Episode 5: RFF's Karen Palmer on Carbon Pricing & Multistate Impacts

Dr. Palmer is currently a Senior Fellow and Director of the Future of Power Initiative at Resources for the Future (RFF), one of the oldest and most prestigious environmental think tanks in the country. In Episode 5 of our Power Trends Podcast, Dr. Palmer speaks with our Vice President of External Affairs, Kevin Lanahan about a study recently conducted by RFF on the New York ISO’s carbon pricing proposal.

Findings of the study project the following outcomes, using the RFF’s Engineering, Environmental and Economic Electricity Simulation Tool (E4ST). It demonstrated that our proposal would, by 2025:

Reduce CO2 emissions from New York's generators by between 6% and 22%
Extend emissions reductions and health benefits to the large RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) are from Maine to Maryland, including New Jersey and Virginia
Provide an annual net benefit to society at large of between $108M to $651M

Regarding the ability to provide market incentives consistent with the state’s environmental policy, Palmer quoted colleague, Dr. Susan Tierney of the Analysis Group who said that the New York ISO’s carbon pricing proposal would, “get clean energy goals and markets ‘rowing in the same direction.”

Learn More

Follow us on Twitter @NewYorkISO and LinkedIn @NYISO
Read our blogs and watch our videos
Check out our 2040 grid page

Next Episode

Episode 7: Clarkson President Anthony Collins on a Culture of Innovation

Dr. Anthony Collins, President of Clarkson University since 2003, believes in the importance of finding new ways to promote a culture of innovation in one of the nation’s top technical colleges. It’s a culture engrained in our mission here at the NYISO as we transition to the grid of the future.
Why does that matter so much today? We are in the midst of some of the biggest changes to the energy grid that we’ve seen in a century, as we move from traditional forms of generation to resources more reliant on solar and wind which literally change with the weather. As we prepare to make changes to our energy markets to support these new technologies, we need staff with both strong technical knowledge and the ability to think creatively. Clarkson University, which has prepared many of our talented staff in the past (including our President and CEO Rich Dewey), is creating the types of graduates we are looking for.
Dr. Collins recently spoke to NYISO Vice President of External Affairs and Corporate Communications, Kevin Lanahan, for our Power Trends Podcast. Hear the steps Clarkson University has taken to prepare its students for the jobs of tomorrow, from creating an “Innovation Hub” in the center of campus to investing in businesses owned by students.

Learn More