Does New England need additional energy resources to meet electricity demand in future years? How would Cape Wind contribute to this need?
ISO New England (the independent not-for-profit corporation that operates New England’s bulk electric power system) projects that the region will need about 4,000 additional megawatts (MW) of capacity by 2016 and another 4,000 MW by 2025. To put that into context, New England currently has about 31,000 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity, which is enough to meet customers’ needs reliably with some extra capacity to cover planned and unplanned plant outages and extreme demand spikes. According to ISO New England, new resources will be needed most urgently in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Click here1 to see a June 2007 presentation by ISO New England president and CEO Gordon van Welie on New England’s electricity supply outlook and requirements. Cape Wind’s design gives the wind farm a maximum output of 454 MW. However, winds do not blow steadily at all times, so wind farm capacity factors (the ratio of actual power produced to the amount that could theoretically be produced
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