Join AGC NYS & the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) April 10 for a Conversation on the State’s Electrical Grid and a Tour of the Control Center
SOLD OUT – Please notify Bryanna if you would like to be placed on a wait list. Her email is bryanna@agcnys.org.
Who: AGC NYS & the NYISO
What: A conversation and tour of NYISO’s Control Center
Where: The NYISO – 10 Krey Boulevard, Rensselaer, NY 12144
When: Monday, April 10 at 2 PM
Why: To introduce both groups to each other and facilitate an ongoing dialogue.
On Monday, April 10, 2017 at 2PM, AGC NYS will visit the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) to discuss the state’s aging transmission infrastructure and the NYISO’s responsibility in keeping the lights on for all 19 million New Yorkers. Included in the visit will be a tour of the NYISO’s Control Room where seven operators monitor and manage the state’s electrical grid, 24/7-365. The grid, consisting of more than 11,000 miles of transmission lines, is displayed on an impressive 2,300 square foot video wall inside the Control Center. As the leading statewide construction industry association, the conversation and tour is designed to facilitate ongoing dialogue between AGC NYS and the NYISO about issues impacting both the construction industry and the state’s bulk electrical system.
Much like the rest of the state’s infrastructure, New York’s transmission infrastructure is old, creating congestion in high needs areas which require significant upgrades. According to our 2016 Power Trends publication, 80% of New York’s high-voltage transmission lines went into service before 1980. More than 4,700 circuit miles will require replacement within the next 30 years at an estimated cost of $25 billion. The Governor’s Energy Highway Blueprint did recommend significant investments be made in transmission infrastructure.
What to Expect:
The program is expected to last roughly an hour and a half to two hours. Guests should expect to arrive at least 15-20 minutes early to allow for security. To enter the NYISO, guests will be required to produce a valid ID at the welcome gate and then again inside the building where a security badge will be issued. Designated as critical infrastructure, the NYISO takes security very seriously (including a no fly zone). Photos of any kind are prohibited while on the NYISO property (they will confiscate phones to delete photos) and all participants must be registered with the NYISO at least 48 hours in advance. No walk-ins will be accepted.
Background on the NYISO:
The New York ISO is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization comprised of more than 500 men and women who work hard to keep lights on twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for all 19 million New Yorkers. Operating under the strictest state, federal, and local reliability standards, the NYISO carries out three critical functions. First, our primary mission is to reliably operate New York’s bulk electric system, keeping the lights on twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
We also manage the flow of electricity across New York so that it is produced and transported where it is needed in exactly the right amount at exactly the right time. To provide the lowest-cost power available to reliably meet consumer needs, we conduct and monitor competitive auctions of wholesale electricity every five minutes, every day of the year. As a result, we have saved consumers $7.8 billion in combined generator fuel costs – exceeding national efficiency gains by more than 300%. We’ve also saved consumers $612 million from reduced energy reserves, avoided 25M tons of carbon emissions, and according to the EPA have seen a 42% reduction in CO2 emissions, a 79% reduction in NO2 emissions, and a 97% reduction in SO2 emissions – the leading contributor to acid rain.
Lastly, the NYISO conducts planning processes to ensure the state’s bulk electric system operates safely and reliably for all New Yorkers. We plan the system to ensure we have sufficient resources in the future and we use competitive market signals to ensure resources locate in the right place to meet the state’s electricity needs at the lowest possible cost.
For additional background about the NYISO and how New York gets its electricity, click here to read a recent New York Times profile (while specifically about NYC it applies to the entire state), or visit our website at www.nyiso.com.