FirstLight, a leading provider of clean energy and energy storage resources, today announced a new power purchase agreement with the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) to deliver clean power to 14 Massachusetts municipal utilities. MMWEC is the Commonwealth’s designated joint action agency for municipal utilities in Massachusetts.
Through the agreement, participating communities will purchase up to 69 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year of hydroelectric power produced by two Connecticut hydroelectric facilities and equivalent renewable energy credits (RECs). The agreement, running from 2024 through 2029, will immediately begin supporting the electric power demands of more than 6,000 homes and businesses in participating communities. It will also expand the carbon-free portion of the communities’ power supply ahead of Massachusetts’ mandate for municipal utilities to obtain 50 percent of their electric supply from carbon-free sources by 2030 and net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“We’re proud to announce this partnership with MMWEC and the 14 Massachusetts municipalities that will soon receive clean, reliable hydropower produced here in New England,” said Peter Rider, Chief Commercial Officer at FirstLight. “MMWEC and the participating communities understand the climate risks we are facing, and through this agreement, have made bold, tangible steps to begin immediately preparing for the clean energy future ahead of us while also ensuring that the benefits of this transition remain in New England in the form of economic benefits, local union and non-union jobs, and access to beautiful recreation spaces across the region.”
The 14 public power entities participating in the MMWEC contract include Boylston Municipal Light Department, Groton Electric Light Department, Hull Municipal Light Plant, Ipswich Electric Light Department, Marblehead Municipal Light Department, Paxton Municipal Light Department, Peabody Municipal Light Plant, Princeton Municipal Light Department, Russell Municipal Light Department, Shrewsbury Electric & Cable Operations, Sterling Municipal Light Department, Templeton Municipal Light & Water Plant, Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, and West Boylston Municipal Light Plant.
“We are thrilled to announce this new partnership with FirstLight and are proud to see so many MMWEC members participating – a true example of joint action and the ambition of our members in planning and preparing for the energy transition ahead of us,” said MMWEC Chief Executive Officer Ron DeCurzio. “Not only will this bolster members’ decarbonization efforts, but also, it will support the collective effort to provide reliable, low-cost power to ratepayers across the Commonwealth.”
Through this agreement, FirstLight’s Stevenson Generating Station in Monroe, Connecticut, and Bulls Bridge Generating Station in New Milford, Connecticut, will supply the contracted clean power to MMWEC, which in turn will provide it to the participating communities through 2029. One of the largest hydroelectric facilities in Connecticut, Stevenson Station is not only relied on for clean power – it also creates Lake Zoar, one of the state’s largest lakes, providing significant public recreation opportunities for all to enjoy and serves as an economic driver for its host communities in Oxford, Monroe, Newtown, and Southbury. Bulls Bridge also brings co-benefits – in addition to generating clean power, the project includes a high-difficulty whitewater area, trail systems, a wildlife and trout management area, and direct access to the Appalachian Trail.
