New England grid demand reaches record lows as rooftop solar kicks off

Grid operator ISO New England reported on Tuesday that power grid usage in the northeast United States reached a record low this weekend due to mild weather and rooftop panels.

Why it Matters

Climate change, renewable electricity generation, and electrification in buildings and industries such as transportation are all changing the U.S. power system.

ISO New England, grid operator for New England, announced in a press release that on April 20th, power demand dropped to 5,318 Megawatts. This was after three years of record-lows. This record was about 1,200 megawatts or 20% lower than the previous year.

As the sun began to set, the rooftop solar energy decreased and the homes and businesses began to draw more power from grid. The peak of the day was 6,600 megawatts, or so-called "behind-the-meter" solar.

KEY QUOTE

ISO New England stated that "the trend towards more 'duck curvature' days, where demand is at its lowest in the late afternoon rather than overnight, illustrates how the region's resource mix has changed and what role different resources play throughout the day."

New England is experiencing a shift in its consumption patterns. The traditional summer peak has been replaced by winter demand as more and more buildings are incorporating electric heat pumps.

(source: Reuters)