New York state needs to add more generating capacity "on an expedited basis" because demand continues to grow, says the New York Independent System Operator, the state agency in charge of electric transmission system operation. The state has adequate capacity for the summer, but supplies will be tight, according to the ISO's 2003 summer forecast. "Unless significant generating capacity is added to the system--and soon--demand is going to overwhelm supply and reliability will be at risk," said NYISO President William Museler on Feb. 25.

He stressed the need to get a new siting law into place, since the "Article X" law, which provided a one-stop process for permits and approvals, expired at the end of 2002, and the legislature has not passed a new version.

According to the forecast, New York needs 37,087 Mw of capacity for the May-October summer period. Currently, the state has only 36,527 Mw of supply, but 1,231 Mw of new plants are due on-line during the summer. In addition, more resources will come from demand-response programs. NYISO sees a tight summer for New York City and Long Island, which are load pockets, largely cut off from the state by transmission constraints, and requiring local resources. The city still has a 67-Mw deficiency, the ISO said.