New England Can Import Canadian Hydropower to Meet Environmental Goals

摘要

Canadian hydropower has often been suggested as a potentially valuable addition to the portfolio of generation sources that supply electricity to consumers in New England. Imports of hydropower have recently increased, but they have never been a large contributor to the region's power supply portfolio. Instead, as the region's aging coal and oil plants have retired, most new generating capacity has been fueled with natural gas. This trend has caused problems for the region, especially in the winter when large amounts of natural gas are always needed for space heating. Gas and electricity prices have spiked, and oil plants, with their harmful emissions, have had to operate to maintain electric system reliability. These short-term problems are clear warning signs of more serious trouble on the horizon.