ISO-NE Delays MOPR Elimination Hindering Cost-Effective Clean Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Thursday, the New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) Participant’s Committee voted in support of the ISO-New England (ISO-NE)’s recommendation to delay the removal of the Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) by another two years, until 2025. This action represents a reversal of the ISO’s pledge from last May to eliminate the MOPR by 2023. At a time when almost all the planned new generation in the region is comprised of wind, solar, and storage resources, impediments to the development of such resources will create additional costs to consumers and delay the achievement of state renewable and climate goals.

Following is a statement from Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), on the decision:

“ACORE is disappointed that ISO-NE has reversed its earlier commitment to eliminate the anti-competitive and anti-renewable Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) by next year. Delayed implementation keeps clean energy from competing in the regional capacity markets for another two years. At a time when most states have implemented policies to transition to a decarbonized and cleaner grid, it is essential that the MOPR, a costly and inefficient barrier to achieving these goals, is quickly removed.”

See ACORE’s November 2021 report on Ensuring Low-Cost Reliability for a discussion of the problems with a MOPR and other recommendations for resource adequacy in a clean energy grid.

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About ACORE:
For more than 20 years, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been the nation’s premier pan-renewable nonprofit organization. ACORE unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. For more information, please visit www.acore.org.

Media Contacts:

Blake McCarren, Communications Manager, ACORE
mccarren@acore.org | 301.661.7375 (c)

Alex Hobson, Vice President of Communications, ACORE
hobson@acore.org | 202.777.7584 (o) | 202.594.0706 (c)