The Department of Energy has awarded federal funding to support studies associated with transmission development scenarios for the country's three interconnection networks. New England is in the Eastern Connection, which extends from the foot of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic seaboard. This included funding for the Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative (EIPC), which will support transmission planners' work with stakeholder organizations, and for the Eastern Interconnection States' Planning Council (EISPC), which will facilitate state coordination across the Eastern Interconnection.
The EISPC will, among other matters, assist in the development of a credible reference case, define some of the macroeconomic future scenarios, and one of the transmission build out scenarios while providing input on the others.
Through state officials including PUC Commissioners and representatives appointed by each of the northeastern Governors, the northeastern states are participating in Eastern Interconnection Planning to ensure the region's interests are considered in these national discussions. Northeastern state representatives are as follows:
Chairman Volz of the Vermont PSB is the region's representative on the EISPC Executive Committee. Chairman Brown of New York is a member of the EISPC Steering Committee.
EIPC Process
The EIPC's revised statement of objectives
submitted to the Department of Energy in February 2010 includes a task flow chart on
page 8 that summarizes the overall anticipated process.
