Ashley Siefert Nunes
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Weather extremes such as heat waves and cold snaps, paired with an overreliance on methane gas, are taxing the New England electric grid and hitting ratepayers’ pocketbooks with the regional grid operator, ISO New England, reporting a 67% increase in the price of energy between 2024 and 2025. According to a report released today by RENEW Northeast, even a small offshore wind fleet can make a major difference for grid reliability and affordability in the region.
The report found that had 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind been operational during this past winter—equivalent to the output of two offshore wind projects currently under construction and two others proposed for the region—New England wholesale energy prices would have dropped more than 10%, saving consumers approximately $400 million collectively on their energy bills. The Union of Concerned Scientists is a member of RENEW Northeast, a nonprofit association of renewable energy industry and environmental interest groups, which commissioned the study by Daymark Energy Advisors.
Last Friday, the Trump administration issued a stop-work order to Revolution Wind—an offshore wind project that is nearly complete and will supply enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately 350,000 homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island. The out-of-the-blue directive from the Trump administration has been derided by governors of affected states, labor groups, and ISO New England, which warned of the harm this would have on regional grid reliability.
Below is a statement by Susan Muller, a senior energy analyst at UCS who was consulted in the drafting of this report.
“This study shows the power of offshore wind to lower energy prices in New England, especially in winter, and adds to the long list of benefits that this industry brings to the region. New Englanders need rate relief and a more reliable grid now, and President Trump’s nonsensical decision to stall a nearly completed project cannot stand.
“The Revolution Wind project is supposed to help keep the lights on during the next Polar Vortex. This stop-work order from the Trump administration is a lose-lose for pretty much everyone except fossil gas corporations, as stopping the project could not only cost thousands of jobs and ratepayers real money but have life or death consequences if we lose power in the middle of a cold snap.
“New England needs homegrown offshore wind energy to keep the lights on and our electricity affordable. It’s imperative that policymakers fight back to protect Revolution Wind and other offshore wind projects against these attacks by the administration and its fossil fuel backers.”