Communication Pledge Follows Peabody Power Plant Forum

PEABODY, MA — The utility behind a long-planned Peabody peaker power plant said that Tuesday night's four-hour public forum at the Torigian Center was part of a renewed commitment to communication with North Shore residents and officials on the proposed surge capacity plant project.

Those who expressed their ongoing concerns about the climate and health impacts of the fossil fueled-power plant at the Waters Street substation during the two-hour, question-and-answer portion of the forum want to make sure the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company delivers on that pledge.

(POWER PLANT FORUM: Proposed Peabody Power Plant Defended, Challenged At Public Forum.)

Tuesday night's forum included an exhaustive presentation from MMWEC officials and consultants, as well as the heads of the Peabody Municipal Light Plant and Marblehead Municipal Light Department, laying why the gas and oil plant is needed to provide surge capacity power to the statewide public utilities under MMWEC, and their argument that adding a more efficient peaker plant will actually help move the utility to the state's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

They said the surge capacity plant outlined as Project2015A will provide cost stability to ratepayers and ensure energy reliability during bouts of extreme heat and cold when demand is at its highest as it looks to increase wind, solar and hydro as its everyday energy sources.

Many of those who spoke in the public comment time, however, pressed MMWEC to look into alternatives, conduct health assessments of the cumulative effects of adding another fossil fuel plant of any kind to a congested environmental justice region, and to maintain an open discussion about the status of the minimum 30-day "pause" in the plans, which will soon enter a seventh week.

"I applaud your decision to take the pause, and a second pause," Breathe Clean North Shore representative and Peabody resident Sudi Smoller said. "And I ask that you continue that delay so more environmentally-friendly options can be explored.

"I hope tonight is the start of a continuing conversation — and absolutely needed conversation — that reevaluates this project with our eyes in 2021 on a utility of the future and not one of the past."

MMWEC officials said they regretted the lack of outreach to some groups and public officials through the process, and even leading up to the meeting, but pledged to provide more of that and to respond to any questions that were not answered Tuesday night.

"We acknowledge that it was a long night," MMWEC spokesperson Kate Roy told Patch on Wednesday, "and appreciated the time and patience of those who attended and watched online. We know there was a lot of information presented, but we wanted to give an extensive overview of the project, including the need for it and all that has gone into the process.

"We appreciated the feedback provided. Every person who signed up was given the chance to comment and ask their questions. We are reviewing any unanswered questions and plan to follow up with answers, as we discussed (Tuesday) night."

Roy said MMWEC officials considered the back-and-forth a "robust conversation with the residents of Peabody and throughout the state."

"It was immensely helpful to discuss all aspects and views of the project," she said. "We look forward to a continuation of these communications as we address the capacity needs of our member municipal light departments."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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