Ratepayers know too nicely that February was a tough month for retail utility payments in New England, marked by hovering prices that threw family and enterprise budgets out of whack.
Regional grid operator ISO-New England put a quantity on the ache for the wholesale aspect of the image Wednesday, reporting that the common real-time electrical energy worth was $126.40 per megawatt-hour in February 2025, up 301% in comparison with February 2024. As well as, January’s real-time worth common was solely 6.4% decrease than February’s elevated common.
Client demand and gasoline prices drive wholesale electrical energy costs in New England, and each are up.
Pure gasoline was used to generate 55% of the ability produced in 2024 by New England’s energy crops, and the natural-gas-fired energy crops often set the value of wholesale electrical energy, ISO-New England reported, noting the common pure gasoline worth per therm in February was $14.62, up 319% from the February 2024 common.
Regional electrical energy demand in February elevated 4.7% in comparison with February 2024. The common temperature in February was 29 levels in New England, down 5 levels from final February.
The area’s power combine is a continuing matter of debate on Beacon Hill, the place legislators have aligned insurance policies to maneuver towards renewable power in an effort to scale back carbon emissions. The transition is a sluggish one.
Based on ISO-NE, pure gas-fired and nuclear technology produced 79% of the 7,891 gigawatt hours of electrical power generated in New England in February. Renewable sources generated 13% of the regional power, together with 5.4% from wooden, refuse, and landfill gasoline, 4.7% from wind, and a couple of.9% from photo voltaic. Coal sources generated 0.4% whereas oil-fired sources generated 1.3%. Hydroelectric sources generated 5.5%, and the area obtained web imports of about 2,187 gigawatt hours of electrical energy from neighboring areas.
On the carbon emissions entrance, New England energy crops produced about 2.28 million metric tons of CO2 in February 2025, a ten.3% enhance from February 2024.
Vitality affordability is rising as a legislative aim within the new time period and Gov. Maura Healey’s workforce continues to work on a proposal to place earlier than the Normal Court docket. Democrats on Beacon Hill have customary state coverage to help offshore wind energy’s development, however the business has been sluggish to take form.
