Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 3/14/23 from 6:30pm to about 8pm. Here is the link. All are welcome! We’re looking forward to a productive discussion on where we stand and next steps!
Are you wondering what you can do to help? First thing is to sign the petition to the Healy administration by clicking here. Next, if you haven’t had a chance to watch the new 40 minute documentary on the history of the Peabody Peaker, here is the link to view. Once you’ve watched, you can host your own viewing to spread the word – here is a link to a ‘toolkit’ with many more details!

MMWEC’s plans for a mixed fuel of hydrogen and gas
The Peabody Peaker project (SP2015A) will burn natural gas as its primary fuel and diesel as a backup fuel.

PML Commission Update
The next meeting of the Peabody Municipal Light Commission is March 23, 6:30pm, 201 Warren St. Ext., Peabody. The

Tracy Valletti elected to PMLP Commission!

2/21/23- In a joint meeting between the Peabody City Council and the current PMLP commissioners Tracy Valletti received 10 of the possible 15 votes to replace retiring commissioner Charles Bonfanti. Ms. Valletti was chosen from a field of 6 candidates, and was the only candidate to cause a contentious grilling from 2 of the current PMLP commissioners. When Ms. Valletti brought up her intent to move Peabody towards an official ‘Green Community’ designation, which would bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city, Councillor Anne Manning brought up the fact that in the past the PMLP has been the block to this initiative. At that point commissioner Tom Paras decided to start a conversation on this subject with Ms. Manning, but ultimately withdrew his comment and sat down. Then Commissioner Melvin decided to accuse Ms. Valletti of previously expressing skepticism regarding the controversial Peabody Project 2015A – the ‘Peabody Peaker’, and of having been supported in the last election by a coalition that still opposes the project. Ms. Valletti repeated for the third time she understands the project will be completed and online in a few months, and that her intent is not to oppose it at this time. Both Mr. Paras and Mr. Melvin voted for a different candidate, but Ms. Valletti persisted and ended up with 2 more votes than required to win the position on the board.





It appears the PMLP Commission doesn’t want you to hear what they have to say. At last night’s monthly meeting, Commissioners Tom Paras and Ray Melvin had a temper tantrum that resulted in the meeting not being recorded.
At first, the usual microphones were absent from the desks. “Bring your own microphones,” was their command when Peabody TV volunteers eventually located the needed equipment and began unpacking the microphones regularly used for recording the meeting on video. “Use the microphone in the camera,” was another comment – along with Paras’ comment “we’re getting new microphones anyway.”
The mystery of the microphones played out at the meeting following dissmissive comments Paras made at the September meeting were heard on Peabody TV’s recording. When a member of the public raised her hand to participate in the public remark portion of the meeting, Paras was heard saying “Oh my god, I’ve got to get out of here….when is this thing going to end.”
Last night,
Paras left the room when asked if the microphone mayhem was related to his off-side remarks being heard at the last meeting. (Are they getting new microphones so it would be easier for commissioners to turn off their microphone?)
The Commission’s lack of transparency with the public and their preference to avoid community engagement is nothing new.
We got another hint at the Commission’s attitude when the paper agenda had an attached handout outlining the specifics of the Open Meeting Law & Remarks of the General Public. It states that to record a meeting the chair must be notified first. As evidenced by the monthly meeting having been routinely recorded and aired by Peabody TV for several months, the Commission was notified about PAT volunteers (who happen to also be BCNS volunteers) recording the meetings.
The Open Meeting handout lists the specific demands of the Commission regarding “remarks of the general public” which they deem “entirely optional and completely wthin the Chair’s discretion.” BCNS volunteers have routinely taken advantage of this one public opportunity to communicate directly with the Commission. (It’s ironic that the Attorney General upheld our complaint and found the Commission in violation of the law regarding the posting of last year’s public/budget meeting.)
The unfortunate result of the sophomoric games the Commission played on October 27 is that the public will have to wait until after their December 15 meeting to learn what happened at last night’s meeting. The minutes of the meeting are routinely taken “by hand” and not available until the Commission votes to release the minutes at a future meeting.
BCNS was interested to hear the details of:
– the future of the Unit 1 peaker generator at the Waters River Plant, specfically regarding the ISO-New England De-list bid
– information on the new “PP & FCA” price increases implemented by the Commission
– PMLP’s holiday party plans (last year they appropriated $5000 for the event)
– We were hoping to learn when the PMLP FY23 budget will be discussed and when the public hearing on the budget is planned.
Another example of the Commission’s lack of transparency is that in more than a year of attending and reporting on the commission’s meetings, minutes of Executive Session have never been released. At our insistence, PMLP has remedied their previous omission regarding posting the minutes of previous monthly meetings. We have not yet pursued the release of minutes of executive sessions, which are held out of the public eye in order to protect trade secrets. Any confidential information could be redacted from the minutes.
Yesterday started out with the great news that the Salem City Council issued a resolution to stop the Peabody Peaker project. I mistakenly thought that the malevolent spirits of the season were aligned with us. Witchcraft had nothing to do with the microphone mayhem – that was the work of the men on the Commission.
Pulaski St. monitor –
South Peabody monitor –
Downtown Main St. monitor –
Foster/Washington St. monitor
Wallis/Tremont St. monitor
NorthShore Mall monitor –
West Peabody monitor –
On Tuesday 9/27 members of Mass 350 and Breathe Clean North Shore had a ‘No New Fossil Fuels’ Rally and Die-In on the Danversport Bridge, overlooking the continuing construction of a new fossil fuel burning ‘Peaker’ plant in Peabody. The effort is continuing to stop this plant from operating and spewing at least 7500 tons, and as much as 51,000 tons of dirty, toxic emissions into the Peabody and Danvers air.






















On Thursday afternoon 9/15/22, the Peabody Board of Health held a public meeting at Peabody City hall. Kathryn Rogers, a PHD intern at MCAN (Mass Climate Action Network) presented a health data study and analysis she prepared on behalf of MCAN and BCNS (as an MCAN chapter) to the board and the attending public.






On a hot Saturday in July, BCNS took a (short) well deserved break from the work to slow climate change and clean the air for a BBQ. Thanks to the Smollers of Peabody for hosting this fun and informative break. Admittedly, even though we were on a break, there was plenty of good conversation and planning taking place as well!



Peabody Residents!! The next public forum is now scheduled for September during the day at the PMLP McCarthy Auditorium. This is a quarterly meeting where you can meet with the PMLP manager and ask any questions / make any comments you would like them to hear. It is the only forum available to Peabody and South Lynnfield residents to make your opinion known. Please consider attending this quarterly meeting! (these quarterly forums alternate between daytime and evening)
Thank You! to everyone who came out for the ‘Stop the Peabody Peaker’ mass action on the Danversport Bridge on May 26th! It meant alot to all of us and had a positive impact for the Clean Climate cause. Enjoy these pictures of the day, and if you’re interested in one of our BCNS T-Shirts for a $15 donation you can have one! Just send us an email at breatheclean.ns@gmail.com!


















Despite repeated requests for the Baker administration and MMWEC to conduct a currently required by law Comprehensive Health Assessment and Environmental Impact study due to the Environmental Justice location of this fossil fuel burning peaker, ground has been broken and construction is now underway on Pulaski Street in Peabody without these assessments. This plant will spew up to more than 50,000 tons of dangerous and deadly dirty emissions from a 90′ tall smoke stack in Peabody when completed. Thanks to Steve Andrada for this promotional video regarding his upcoming documentary.
New Information released on Peabody Peaker!! Two new reports done by expert organizations – Check them out!
Peaker power Pricing and Alternative Analysis – provided by Strategen Consulting
Risks for Peabody Peaker Owners – provided by Applied Economics Clinic






Watch the Fasting for a Future Rally that took place Tuesday, March 22nd at 4:30pm in Peabody (Facebook feed may require Facebook login to view)
Watch the walk from Peabody Square to the Senior Center

Watch the Fix the Grid Rally that took place Wednesday, March 16th at 4:30pm on Boston Common to tell Gov Baker that he has to do his part to change our dangerous energy status quo. (Facebook feed may require Facebook login to view)
Fasting for a Future
Article contributed by Climate Courage
We, six members of Climate Courage, the direct action wing of 350 Massachusetts, here announce our intention to commence a hunger strike, “Fasting for a Future,” beginning March 15, 2022. We hope to draw attention to the insanity of building new fossil fuel infrastructure at a time when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tells us that the world absolutely cannot afford this.
Full Article: http://cleanpowercoalition.
More Info on Hunger Strike

On Wednesday 11/17/2021 members of multiple groups attended a rally by Breathe Clean North Shore at the offices of the EEA in order to deliver a petition signed by over 1200 people. The petition requests a pause in the dirty Peaker Project in Peabody in order to accomodate a full Health and Environmental assessment in accordance with current Massachusetts law. Special thanks to the ‘Red Rebels’ for attending along with State Rep Sally Kerans and Dr. Adrienne Allen – and of course MCAN and Community Action Works for all their work in putting this rally together. (click for photos)
Click here for a fantastic video of the event by Robert Michael Pittsley
BCNS sponsored a ‘Day of Action’ on Saturday 11/13/21 and had a fantastic response! Thank you to all who came out to continue to raise awareness of the proposed dirty peaker plant in Peabody. Special thanks to Representative Sally Kerans, Senator Joan Lovely and Gubernatorial candidate Ben Downing for their support and participation. We’d also like to thank Brothers Roast Beef , Giovannis Lake Street and Land and Sea, all of Peabody, for their very generous donations for all the participants who stood out in Peabody Square, the Danversport Bridge and participated in canvassing of local residents.
Also Thank You! to our other sponsors:





















DPU Fails Public Interest and Approves MMWEC Funding
Link to MCAN Press Release addressing the Mass DPU action – 8/12/2021
Latest Activity and Info
Massachussetts Sierra Club Article- The proposed peaker power plant in Peabody is unnecessary, harmful and costly
Ben Hillman’s video on the Peabody peaker. (from 11/17/21) Watch it and spread the word about this effective video.
Video of Petition presentation to the EEA in Boston on 11/17/21- video by Robert Michael Pittsley
In case you missed it! Watch the Town Hall from 10/5/21 – passcode is q8kyuC@%
Protesters urge Governor Baker to do the right thing for the environment and health in Peabody
‘Day of Action’ Thursday 9/2!! Click for the Social Media Toolkit and make your voice heard!!
Sudi Smoller speaks at State House rally sponsored by Extinction Rebellion 8/14/2021
Assessment of Potential Energy Storage Alternatives for Project 2015A in Peabody, Massachusett (Clean Energy Group)
MCAN Response to (MMWEC) brief filed with Mass DPU 8/5/21
MMWEC Response to (MCAN) brief filed with Mass DPU 8/5/21
MMWEC brief filed with Mass DPU 7/29/21
MCAN brief filed with MMWEC on 7/29/21
An Open Letter to the Honorable Governor Charlie Baker (Jerry Halberstadt – cleanpowercoalition.org)
We will be discussing our next steps to stop the plant at our next meeting – Every other Tuesday, from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Click here to join meeting
In the meantime, we will be continuing our efforts to educate as many people as possible about this proposed dirty peaker, and push for an alternative, clean solution to this proposed dirty fossil fuel generator in Peabody. We are also working to change the existing regulations that continue to promote dirty fossil fuel power plants over cleaner, alternative, renewable power plants and energy storage solutions.
If you’d like to get involved send an email to breatheclean.ns@gmail.com!

Article released 7/5/2021 by Paul Dale, Energy Committee Chair, Mass. Sierra Club
This is a comprehensive analysis of Project 2015a as it stands today, looking at true costs, renewable alternative costs, and explains why “The proposed peaker power plant in Peabody is unnecessary, harmful and costly“
Breathe Clean North Shore members attended and spoke as part of the agenda at the regular public meeting of the Peabody Municipal Light Plant on Thursday night June 24th 2021. The PMLP commissioners answered our questions and agreed to have ongoing conversations regarding future plans and to make more of an effort to inform the public of their ongoing projects and plans.






On Tuesday night, June 22nd MMWEC hosted a public forum that included an extensive informational presentation by MMWEC and some of the member Municiple Utilities. Here is a link to a recording of the meeting. The question/answer session starts at about 1 hour 54 minutes in.
“Every day we try to empower patients to live the healthiest lives they can live, and a lot of it is out of their control,” she said. “They can make healthy lifestyle choices. They can take their inhaler. But air quality is out of their control. I find it’s a justice issue. We want to level the playing field. We want every person in Peabody, every person on the North Shore, to have an opportunity to breathe clean air and live a healthy lifestyle.”

“It just makes it riskier for all of our patients to breathe the air, and makes it more likely for them to be admitted to the hospital,” she said, adding, “I think we could see more people struggling to breathe. We’re going to see more heart attacks and more people struggling with angina or chest discomfort. The particulate matter has even been shown to cross the placenta, so there is some evidence to show it increases preterm births, and it just causes overall inflammation and ill health, so we would expect more admissions, particularly when it is firing.”



NEIGHBORS within 1/2 MILE RADIUS of the Proposed Plant
VIZINHOS dentro de 1/2 MILE DE RAIO da PLANTA DE PICO PROPOSTA –
VECINOS dentro de un RADIO de 1/2 MILLAS de la PLANTA PICO PROPUESTA
PEABODY
Tammie Lane
Blake Street
Pulaski Street
Sheffield Road
Wiseman Drive
Workingman’s Drive
Esquire Circle
Canterbury Drive
North Central Court
North Central Street
Buxton Lane
Dobbs Road
Gallant Road
Westview Circle
Spinale Road
Abbington Avenue
Gardner Road
