New England's power plants and transmission lines are interconnected to deliver electricity from power plants to customers across the region. Private companies sell power into a regional competitive electricity market while companies like National Grid own and operate the regional transmission system. Substations contain large transformers to convert electricity from the higher transmission voltages to the lower distribution line voltages that serve homes and businesses.

A strong 345 kV bulk power system ensures that power can be efficiently and economically moved longer distances from power sources including renewable sources to the locations where it is needed.

ISO-NE Planning Process

ISO-NE is a not-for-profit regional transmission organization (RTO) authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to coordinate the entire interdependent system of power plants and transmission lines, and administer New England's competitive markets for electric power supply. ISO-NE also manages transmission interconnections to New York, Quebec and New Brunswick that carry power in and out of New England as needed. To effectively carry out its charge, ISO-NE, its Board of Directors and 400 employees have no financial interest or ties to any company doing business in the region's wholesale electricity marketplace.

In keeping with its system responsibilities, ISO-NE led the system planning that eventually led to the identified of the Rhode Island Reliability Project.