NYISO Reports Warn of Growing Reliability Risks for New York’s Power Grid
Two new reports from the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) highlight mounting challenges to maintaining electric system reliability as consumer demand rises and generation resources retire across the state.
The third-quarter Short-Term Assessment of Reliability (STAR) examines grid reliability over a five-year period, from July 2025 through July 2030. It identifies potential reliability violations beginning in New York City and Long Island in summer 2026, driven by generator deactivations, increasing electricity demand, and transmission constraints. The STAR report, now finalized, will guide near-term actions to address these issues.
The 2025–2034 Comprehensive Reliability Plan (CRP), released in draft form this week, looks ahead over the next decade and outlines strategies for maintaining a dependable power supply. The plan cites three converging trends that threaten reliability: an aging generation fleet, rapid load growth from large-scale facilities such as data centers and semiconductor plants, and the growing difficulty of developing new supply resources due to policy, supply chain, and cost challenges. The CRP is expected to be finalized in November.
“Taken together, these two reports show the grid is at a significant inflection point,” said Zach Smith, NYISO’s Senior Vice President of System and Resource Planning. “Depending on future demand growth and generator retirements, the system may need several thousand megawatts of new dispatchable generation within the next ten years.”
The STAR’s identified reliability needs in New York City and Long Island stem from transmission security deficiencies—the system’s ability to continue delivering power during major disturbances, such as equipment failures or transmission line losses, under peak conditions. The finding triggers a formal NYISO process to work with utilities and market participants to restore reliability margins. Possible solutions may include new transmission, generation additions, or energy efficiency measures, or a combination of these approaches.
The CRP takes a broader view, using multiple planning scenarios to assess risks such as aging infrastructure, weather variability, fluctuating demand forecasts, and delays in new resource development. It also evaluates potential resource additions that could help strengthen long-term grid reliability.
Both reports are part of the NYISO’s FERC-approved planning process and are released publicly to support transparency in the state’s reliability planning efforts.