Electricity imports from Canada into New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and Independent System Operator New England (ISO-NE) have dropped due to drought conditions in Canada and lower U.S. Northeast electricity demand, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report on Friday.
The EIA noted that from January to August 2025, imports into New England’s ISO-NE averaged less than 40% of 2022 levels, while imports into New York’s NYISO fell to 25%.
Canadian hydropower output has been constrained by ongoing drought, while electricity demand in ISO-NE and NYISO declined 9% and 6%, respectively, between 2016 and 2024, the EIA report highlighted.
“Although NYISO and ISO-NE typically import electricity from Canada, the shifting trends have led to multiple days of net electricity exports into Canada from the two ISOs,” the EIA added.
According to the EIA, net electricity exports from NYISO and the ISO-NE to Canada occur more frequently during the shoulder seasons – spring and fall – when electricity demand in the U.S. Northeast is relatively low.
During the summer and winter months, higher regional demand limits the amount of electricity available for export, the EIA added.
(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)