ISO New England demand spike
A new ISO New England analysis forecasts roughly a 17% increase in regional electricity demand over the next decade driven by building and vehicle electrification and data centers — a shift that strains grids and creates equity questions for rural and immigrant communities. The report highlights opportunities for green jobs but flags risks for areas where many low‑income and immigrant workers live. (nhbr.com)
ISO New England’s CELT forecast projects roughly a 17% rise in regional electricity consumption over the next decade and shows total annual consumption climbing from about 117,262 GWh in 2025 to roughly 130,665 GWh by 2034. (isonewswire.com) ISO’s state-level and county-level breakdowns show Vermont-specific shifts: the ISO forecast models roughly 120,000 additional electric vehicles in Vermont by 2033, a roughly 60% increase in Vermont solar production over the next decade, and an almost tenfold rise in electric heating deployments. (vermontbiz.com) The ISO produced county-level projections for all 67 New England counties, creating data that can be overlaid with local vulnerability maps; Efficiency Vermont’s 2023 Energy Burden Report identifies the Northeast Kingdom and neighborhoods in Barre, Rutland, St. Johnsbury and Manchester as having some of the state’s highest energy burdens. (isonewswire.com) ISO’s transportation forecast also assumes managed EV charging will rise from about 1% participation in 2024 to roughly 10% by 2033, a change utilities in New England — including Vermont utilities — are beginning to pilot to shave evening peaks. (isonewswire.com) State workforce data show Vermont already supported about 18,255 clean energy jobs as of the 2025 annual report, while industry surveys report 98% of Vermont clean-tech employers struggle to hire installers and HVAC technicians needed for heat-pump and EV charger rollouts. (legislature.vermont.gov) Community-targeted programs and local partnerships are already operating in Vermont: Efficiency Vermont’s Targeted Communities Program directs outreach and enhanced incentives to high-burden towns like St. Johnsbury and Rutland, and local experiments pairing worker-owned construction co-ops with efficiency utilities have aimed to upgrade migrant farmworker housing and reduce energy waste. (efficiencyvermont.com)
