You are currently viewing Current status of Peabody’s gas-and-oil peaker plants Series, #1 – SP2015, Peabody’s newest plant and, hopefully, the last new fossil fuel infrastructure to be built.

Current status of Peabody’s gas-and-oil peaker plants Series, #1 – SP2015, Peabody’s newest plant and, hopefully, the last new fossil fuel infrastructure to be built.

PMLP announced last month that the new 60MW generator is “physically complete” yet it continues to violate the June 2023 deadline to be ready to provide energy to ISO-NE on request.

“So far, there’s been no penalties for Peabody,” PMLP Manager Joe Anastasia said. He explained that problems moving forward are “administrative” and involve an issue between MMWEC and PMLP regarding ownership of the common hardware being used for the plant.

As proposed, the new plant appears to rely heavily on sharing PMLP resources. In addition to sharing .6 acres of the City’s land off Pulaski Street, the facilities to be shared include:

– provide the new plant with natural gas via the Waters River site’s connection;

– allow the new plant to connect with the regional high voltage transmission system by connecting to a PMLP substation

– share a new, 200,000 gallon oil storage tank with both facilities

Another “arms-length” agreement to share facilities includes maintenance support from PMLP for the new plant. The project will share (and pay PMLP for the use of) some ancillary facilities at the site, such as the oil unloading facility, and MMWEC planned to contract certain “routine maintenance” activities to PMLP.

The new plant was first proposed 8 years ago and was originally to be completed by Summer 2021. That deadline was extended by two years to Summer 2023. That means, ISO-NE expects the new plant is ready to provide electricity to the energy grid. If it calls on the new plant and it does not provide the back-up energy requested, IS0-NE can issue a fine. Is that fine charged to MMWEC? Will they pass that cost on to the 14 communities invested in the plant? Peabody is responsible for 30% of the plant’s cost. Could we see a bill for 30% of any fine that might occur?

The city owns, but PMLP controls and operates the two existing peaker plants at the Waters River station. The new plant is owned by MMWEC.

PMLP’s website announced they will soon re-name the new plant, eliminating SP2015A (Special Project2015A).

Coming Soon: #2 – Status of Generators 1 & 2

Caption:  Wondering if the new smokestack at the plant is complete?  This photo was taken October 10.  Is the smokestack 90 feet high as proposed?  The red box is a 31-foot-tall rectangular stack installed 52 years ago.

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