WWLP News | Reliability, emissions put peaker plants in spotlight
October 9, 2024
"Energy officials laid the groundwork Tuesday to launch a work group focused on decarbonizing a fossil fuel resource that could become more crucial for keeping up with electricity demand amid the state’s clean energy transition. The recently established Office of Energy Transformation is recruiting members for the Decarbonizing the Peak Focus Area Work Group, which through next summer will analyze the status of fossil fuel “peaker” power plants and combined heat and power facilities in Massachusetts, as well as offer recommendations for slashing their carbon emissions.
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The work group’s initial assessment of the peaker plant and CHP landscape is scheduled for this fall and winter. In the spring and summer, the group will turn its attention to exploring and gauging how to implement alternative options, said Kate Zyla, executive director of the Georgetown Climate Center, which is guiding the work group with Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program.
'Threading throughout all of these phases, we expect to continue to consider issues of land use, issues of community impacts, issues of equity, issues of environmental impacts, issues of workforce,' Zyla said."