Press Release: 6/24/2025
Massachusetts and Northeast States Issue Request for Information to Explore Cost-Saving Transmission
The bipartisan Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission seeks interregional transmission concepts that can cost-effectively provide significant grid and consumer benefits.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
6/23/2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Maria Hardiman, Communications Director
Online
Email Maria Hardiman, Communications Director at Maria.B.Hardiman@mass.gov
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today joined eight Northeast states in issuing a Request for Information (RFI) seeking interregional transmission project concepts that reduce costs for consumers, improve grid reliability and support economic growth. The RFI was issued by the bipartisan Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, a group formed in 2023 to fill a gap in today’s interregional transmission planning processes.
“By working with other states, we can get more affordable electricity flowing to customers in Massachusetts and across the Northeast,” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Smart, targeted investments in interregional and regional transmission will lower costs and transform our grid. We’re looking forward to seeing what projects may deliver savings to our residents and power our growing economy.”
“This RFI represents another proactive and concrete step among Northeast states to pursue beneficial transmission infrastructure to strengthen our grid,” said Ashley Gagnon, Massachusetts Federal and Regional Energy Affairs Senior Director. “Our regions currently lack a process to explore interregional transmission projects spanning our borders. This collaborative effort is a concrete step toward filling this gap. We welcome submissions and look forward to reviewing project concepts.”
The RFI is the first step in identifying and exploring potential interregional transmission projects between at least two of the three control areas operated by the Northeastern transmission operators: The Independent System Operator of New England, the New York Independent System Operator, and PJM Interconnection LLC. The RFI invites interested entities, including industry representatives, ratepayer advocates, utilities, and independent transmission developers to submit concept papers by October 23, 2025.
In 2023, Northeast states submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Energy to convene a multi-state group – called the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission – in a first-in-the-nation effort to explore mutually beneficial opportunities to increase the flow of electricity between the ISO New England, New York ISO, and PJM Interconnection planning regions.
The Collaborative includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Last summer, the multi-state group signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a framework for coordinating its activities.
Since that time, the Collaborative has engaged relevant federal agencies and organizations with technical expertise to identify and assess shared areas of focus for interregional transmission cooperation and coordination. In April 2025, the Collaborative issued a strategic action plan identifies specific steps that state, regional, and federal policymakers can take to pursue interregional transmission solutions to reduce costs for consumers and make our energy systems more secure. The plan the three grid planning regions in the Northeast. The anchor of the plan is the joint issuance of this RFI to help identify and explore potential interregional transmission project concepts. The plan also identifies transmission equipment standardization efforts to support a unified and comprehensive approach to transmission investments.
Members of the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission:
Katie Dykes, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection:
“Connecticut is working to provide more affordable and reliable electricity to homes and businesses by strengthening our transmission connections to other regions. This request for information will help us identify promising, no-regrets opportunities to expand our state’s access to lower-cost and cleaner sources of power, while making power grids across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic more resilient and reliable.”
Celina Cunningham, Deputy Director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office:
“Maine values collaborative efforts to identify cost-effective transmission solutions that strengthen the regional grid. This Request for Information is an important step to drive innovative ideas and advance cooperation among the states in support of a more reliable, resilient, and affordable energy future for Maine and the Northeast.”
Paul G. Pinsky, Maryland Energy Administration Director:
"Interregional transmission enables neighboring parts of the country to share resources more efficiently, lowering costs for consumers and making sure the grid can stand up to any challenges. This Request for Information seeks to bring cooperation between regions to the current level of cooperation within regions. Maryland is proud to join the Northeast Collaborative in seeking out ideas from the public for new projects that reduce customer costs and bolster resource adequacy."
Christine-Guhl-Sadovy, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities:
“It is very encouraging to see this RFI from the Northeast States Collaborative to gather ideas on how we can collaborate on mutually beneficial interregional transmission projects. Increasing the flow of electricity between our regions has the potential to reduce costs for consumers and make our energy systems more secure and reliable. This is a great step towards achieving those goals and we are proud to be part of the effort.”
Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority:
“The work of the Collaborative is critical as we move forward to ensure our grid remains reliable while doing so in a way that is more affordable for residents all across the northeast. New York looks forward to joining our colleagues in exploring cost-effective concepts, as requested through this RFI, to pursue the innovations needed to execute on our future transmission planning efforts.”
Rory M. Christian, CEO of the New York Department of Public Service:
“States, including New York, are seeking new cost-effective transmission projects that improve grid reliability, support economic growth, and reduce costs for consumers. This request for information is a critical step forward to address the gaps in today’s interregional transmission planning processes and identify potential opportunities to build a more efficient and affordable regional electric grid.”
Chris Kearns, Acting Commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources:
“Multi-state collaboration is essential for identifying strategic opportunities in long-term transmission infrastructure planning and investment as the Northeast energy system evolves to support each state’s energy policies and goals. We welcome interested parties to submit proposals for the states to evaluate.”
Kerrick Johnson, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service Commission:
“Energy affordability and reliability are more important than ever. Vermont views the RFI released today as a meaningful opportunity to find creative ways to secure deeper, more effective regional collaboration on transmission initiatives that deliver value. We look forward to reviewing the responses with a sense of urgency.”