The New York Independent System Operator has released its 2025-2044 System & Resource Outlook, concluding that New York will require significant investment in new generation and transmission infrastructure to reliably meet rising electricity demand while supporting the state's energy policy goals.

The long-term planning assessment evaluates multiple scenarios based on varying assumptions for demand growth, resource development, technology availability and public policy implementation. Across all scenarios, the report finds that electricity demand is increasing faster than new resources are being added, firm and flexible generation will remain essential, and transmission capacity will play an increasingly important role in delivering electricity where and when it is needed.

"The System & Resource Outlook highlights the scale and urgency of the investments needed to reliably serve New York's future electricity needs," said Zach Smith, senior vice president of System and Resource Planning for NYISO. "Rising demand, generator retirements, and public policy choices all point to the need for new resources and stronger transmission. An all-of-the-above approach to energy development, supported by competitive wholesale electricity markets, will be critical to maintaining grid reliability through this transition."

The Outlook is intended to help policymakers, regulators, market participants and developers evaluate how different policy decisions could affect New York's resource mix, transmission needs, system costs and reliability over the next 20 years.

Among the report's key findings:

• Electricity demand is expected to increase over the next two decades, driven by electrification and emerging large loads that change both the amount and timing of electricity consumption.
• All scenarios require significant new generation capacity, with policy-driven scenarios requiring substantially more installed capacity than exists today.
• Transmission capability will become increasingly important for maintaining system performance, reducing congestion, supporting public policy goals and enabling new resources to deliver power to customers.
• Achieving the final stages of emissions reductions presents the greatest infrastructure challenge. The report finds that moving from 95% to 100% emissions-free electricity would require substantially greater investment in replacement generation and transmission, along with technologies that are not yet commercially available. Other scenarios achieve significant emissions reductions with comparatively lower infrastructure investment.

Based on the analysis, NYISO identified four priorities to support reliability as the state's resource mix evolves:

• Develop a viable path for adding firm, flexible resources needed to maintain reliability.
• Better coordinate the timing of new generation, repowered facilities and generator retirements.
• Reduce congestion and increase transfer capability across the Central East interface through targeted transmission enhancements.
• Support zero-emissions generation development in Northern New York through bulk transmission upgrades that improve deliverability.

The full 2025-2044 System & Resource Outlook is available from the NYISO.