FirstLight announced a new power purchase agreement with the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) to deliver hydropower to 14 Massachusetts municipal utilities.
Through the agreement, communities will purchase up to 69 GWh per year of hydroelectric power produced by two Connecticut hydroelectric facilities and equivalent renewable energy credits. The agreement, running from 2024 through 2029, will support the electric power demands of more than 6,000 homes and businesses and expand the carbon-free portion of the communities’ power supply ahead of Massachusetts’ mandate for municipal utilities to obtain 50% of their electric supply from carbon-free sources by 2030 and net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“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,” said Peter Rider, chief commercial officer at FirstLight.
The 14 public power entities participating in the contract are 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.
Through this agreement, FirstLight’s 28.9 MW Stevenson Generating Station in Monroe and 8.4 MW Bulls Bridge Generating Station in New Milford will supply the contracted power. One of the largest hydroelectric facilities in Connecticut, Stevenson Station also creates Lake Zoar, providing significant public recreation opportunities and serving as an economic driver for its host communities in Oxford, Monroe, Newtown and Southbury. Bulls Bridge also brings co-benefits. The project includes a high-difficulty whitewater area, trail systems, a wildlife and trout management area, and direct access to the Appalachian Trail.
“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.”
FirstLight has a portfolio of over 1,600 MW of operating renewable energy and energy storage technologies and a development pipeline with 2,000+ MW of solar, battery, and offshore wind projects. FirstLight specializes in hybrid solutions that pair hydroelectric, pumped hydro storage, utility-scale solar, large-scale battery, and offshore wind assets.
MMWEC is a not-for-profit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts created in 1975 to facilitate non-contiguous municipal utilities to obtain the benefits of joint action in their pursuit of low-cost reliable and clean energy for their communities.
