1-413-589-0141 mmwec@mmwec.org Ludlow, MA

What is Project 2015A?

Project 2015A

Project 2015A is a 55 megawatt capacity reliability resource to be constructed in Peabody, Massachusetts, on a site shared with the Peabody Municipal Light Plant.  

Rendering of the capacity reliability resource to be built on the site shared with the Peabody Municipal Light Plant. 

Project 2015A Information Session

Held June 22, 2021 in Peabody.

Streamed live on PMLP’s Facebook page. Click HERE for more information. 

Presentation in English HERE.

Presentation in Spanish HERE

Peabody TV recording of the meeting HERE

 

Project 2015A Facts

2015A Provides Capacity and Reliability

  • All MLPs, as load-serving entities, are required to provide capacity to ISO New England
  • 14 MLPs are participating in 2015A as Project Participants for the capacity
  • Capacity must be available to cover the MLP’s peak load, plus a reserve margin
  • Prices in the ISO New England capacity market are volatile; 2015A locks in a price, protecting MLPs against this price volatility
  • Having this capacity reliability resource helps the MLP stabilize rates and plan for the future

2015A is Not an Energy Resource

  • Project 2015A will account for only .535% of Project Participant energy needs
  • Energy is the amount of electricity used by the customers of an MLP; measured in kilowatt hours, energy usage varies through the year and the day
  • Approximately 30% of MMWEC Member capacity requirements is covered by entitlements from fossil resources; these capacity resources contribute less than 1.8% of total energy consumption for MMWEC Members

2015A is Essential for the Increased Use of Renewable Energy Resources

  • Having the required capacity through 2015A allows MLPs to purchase or own more renewable energy, such as MMWEC solar Project 2020A, Berkshire Wind Phase I and Berkshire Wind Phase II
  • The intermittent nature of renewable sources means they provide very little capacity
  • Because of their intermittent characteristics, ISO-NE allows for only .311 of capacity for every 1 MW of Berkshire Wind, and .117 of capacity for every 1 MW of solar, on an annual average

2015A will Run Very Infrequently

  • 2015A will be dispatched by ISO New England during limited times of system stress or high energy usage
  • As a capacity and fast-start reserve resource, 2015A is estimated to run an average of only 2.72% of the time, equivalent to approximately 239 hours per year
  • 2015A will be in the ISO New England reserve markets, which will further restrict its hours of operation
  • 2015A is expected to produce approximately 7,085 tons of carbon emissions per year 

2015A Aligns with the Massachusetts Decarbonization Roadmap

  • As a flexible fast-start reserve unit, with its state-of-the-art technology, 2015A will produce fewer emissions, displacing existing older, dirtier, fast-start plants when it is called upon to run
  • State and regional officials and stakeholders have identified efficient gas plants like 2015A as necessary to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 – see 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap HERE; see specific references in 2030 Interim Plan and 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap HERE
  • MMWEC is making a contribution to an environmental cause to support the state’s climate change goals

Project 2015A Frequently Asked Questions

Click HERE for more information. 

 

MMWEC MLPs' Clean Energy Timeline

MMWEC and its members have been incorporating carbon-free power into their portfolios for decades, dating back to the 1980s. Click on timeline below for major accomplishments to date.