The governors signing include Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Janet Mills of Maine, Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Governor Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island, and Governor Phil Scott of Vermont.
“Adequate electricity supply is critical to growing our economies, preserving public health and safety, powering our homes and businesses, and stabilising consumer prices as demand for electricity rises across the region,” the statement says. “New England has a long tradition of collaborating on regional energy matters. As governors, we are committed to safeguarding our collective energy future through advancement of a diverse energy strategy that includes nuclear power, a pillar of New England’s electric system.”
The statement outlines two key next steps. First, the governors are directing their respective state energy offices to explore opportunities to ensure the continued safe, affordable, and reliable operation of the region’s existing nuclear generation facilities in coordination with regional transmission organisation ISO New England, the facilities’ owners, federal agencies, and other state and regional stakeholders.
Second, the governors are directing state energy agencies to take steps to explore deployment of advanced nuclear generation in states and communities that express a willingness to host such resources. This includes exploring innovative financing structures, federal funding and financial support opportunities, public-private partnerships, and regulatory designs for advanced nuclear energy that will protect consumers, help meet the region’s energy needs, and enable New England to capture job growth and economic development opportunities from the deployment of new nuclear technologies with advanced safety systems.
“These initiatives will complement our states’ other efforts to secure a safe, affordable and reliable electricity grid for the 21st century,” the statement says. “By ensuring both the continued operation of our existing nuclear fleet and setting our region on a path to explore next generation resources, including advanced nuclear energy technologies, the New England states will continue our leadership in grid modernisation and energy innovation as we jointly work to meet the region’s current and future energy needs.”
