New England Spring Power Costs Rise 6% to $1.75 Billion as Emissions Charges Jump 65%
Updated
Updated · isonewswire.com · Aug 25
New England Spring Power Costs Rise 6% to $1.75 Billion as Emissions Charges Jump 65%
1 articles · Updated · isonewswire.com · Aug 25
Summary
$1.75 billion in estimated wholesale electricity costs for spring 2026 marked a 6% increase from a year earlier, ISO New England’s market monitor said.
Emissions costs for a typical gas generator surged 65% even as natural gas prices fell 18% to $2.79 per million Btu, breaking the usual link between gas and power prices.
Lower nuclear output from refueling outages left less-efficient generators setting prices more often, while mid-May warmth lifted electricity demand 2% from spring 2025.
Energy costs climbed 16% to $1.46 billion, with day-ahead prices averaging $48.41 per MWh and real-time prices $47.54; net imports supplied 13% of regional demand, up from 7%.
Capacity costs fell 26% to $266 million on lower cleared capacity and less price separation in import-constrained zones, partly offsetting the broader rise in power-market costs.