Conn. Joins R.I. and Mass. in Northeast Energy Collaborative

Power in unity

EcoRI

Connecticut recently became the 10th state to join a new energy collaborative that will allow coordination between states to improve the supply and reliability of electricity throughout the Northeast.

Connecticut joins a memorandum of understanding with Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland to increase the flow of electricity between three different regions in the Northeast.

The announcement of the formation of the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission was met with positive reactions from Connecticut policymakers and officials, according to CTNewsJunkie.

State Sens. Norm Needleman and Christine Cohen — co-chairs of the Energy and Transportation committees, respectively — said the collaboration will mean lower costs for consumers and will help benefit the grid in periods of high usage.

“This Collaborative will also provide a better and more accessible market for offshore wind, with statewide interconnection helping to aid a transition away from fossil fuels in a more emphatic way,” they wrote in a statement.