Wholesale and Regional Issues
The state of the electric industry in New Hampshire
depends crucially on two entities outside New Hampshire
and outside the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire Public
Utilities Commission: the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC)
and the Independent System Operator – New England
(ISO-NE). FERC regulates
transmission and wholesale sales of electricity in interstate
commerce, licenses and inspects hydroelectric projects,
oversees environmental matters, and administers accounting
and financial reporting regulations and the conduct
of jurisdictional companies. The ISO-NE,
which was established as a not-for-profit private corporation
on July 1, 1997 following its approval by the FERC,
manages the New England region's electric bulk power
system and administers the region's wholesale electricity
marketplace, providing open access to the transmission
system and ensuring a safe and reliable system.
Some of the recent developments with regard to wholesale
and regional matters include the Standard Market Design
(SMD) initiative under the aegis of FERC
and the move by ISO-NE
to create a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO)
encompassing the New England region. For more information
on these and other important issues, visit the FERC
and ISO-NE websites.
Other important regional entities and initiatives that
affect New Hampshire include New England Conference
of Public Utilities Commissioners (NECPUC),
New England Governors’ Conference, and New England
Demand Response Initiative (NEDRI).
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