FirstLight Power and Energy New England Expand Landmark Power Purchase Agreement to Advance Massachusetts’ Clean Energy Goals for Municipal Utilities
As part of the agreement, thirteen Massachusetts municipalities will purchase renewable energy credits and clean energy produced by two of FirstLight’s hydroelectric facilities in Connecticut
BURLINGTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–FirstLight Power, a leading clean provider of renewable energy and energy storage resources, today announced the expansion of the company’s landmark municipal electric department purchase agreement with Energy New England (ENE). As part of the agreement, thirteen Massachusetts-based municipal public power entities have agreed to purchase over 110 gigawatt hours per year of hydroelectric power produced by two of FirstLight’s hydroelectric facilities in Connecticut. The industry-leading agreement will help participating communities continue to make progress toward meeting Massachusetts’ requirements for municipal utilities to obtain 50 percent of their supply from carbon-free sources by 2030 under the climate legislation passed into law and signed by Governor Baker in 2021.
“We are pleased to build on our successful collaboration with Energy New England by expanding our power purchase agreements with Massachusetts municipal utilities. These thirteen communities are showing tremendous climate leadership by choosing locally-produced, cost-competitive, and clean hydropower to advance their own clean energy goals,” said Alicia Barton, President and CEO of FirstLight Power. “Long-term clean power commitments such as these agreements not only bolster our region’s ability to decarbonize the electric grid, but they also lock in affordable energy supply for Massachusetts homes and businesses at a time when fossil fuel prices are driving customer bills up.”
Working in collaboration with ENE, the new power purchase agreement will run from 2024 through 2030. In addition, it expands on the successful partnership with ENE and power purchase agreement that FirstLight entered with 21 municipal utilities in 2020, which at the time represented the largest renewable energy purchase by municipal utilities in New England to date. In 2021, FirstLight extended many of these agreements with several participating utilities including Middleborough Gas and Electric Department (MGED) and Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant (TMLP).
“We are excited to expand our collaboration with FirstLight Power, and we are incredibly proud that our members continue to lead the way by aggressively procuring new sources of clean energy to meet Massachusetts’ 2030 requirements for municipal utilities,” said John Tzimorangas, President and CEO of Energy New England. “Not only have our members made major strides in meeting the state’s goals, they have also shown that these long-term procurements help deliver safe, reliable, and cost-competitive electricity to ratepayers across the Commonwealth.”
The public power entities participating in the contract include: Belmont Municipal Light Department, Braintree Electric Light Department, Concord Municipal Light Plant, Danvers Electric Division, Groveland Municipal Light Department, Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, Mass Development Finance Agency (MDFA)/Devens Utilities, Merrimac Municipal Light Department, Norwood Municipal Light Department, Reading Municipal Light Department, Rowley Municipal Lighting Plant, Wellesley Municipal Light Plant, and Westfield Gas & Electric.
As part of the latest agreement with ENE, FirstLight’s Shepaug Generating Station (in Southbury, Conn) and Stevenson Generating Station (in Monroe, Conn) will supply the energy and renewable energy credits. One of the largest hydroelectric facilities in Connecticut, Stevenson Station was recently qualified as a Class I (in Maine) renewable energy facility. As Connecticut’s largest hydroelectric generation station and the second largest source of carbon-free electricity in the state, Shepaug Station is a Maine Class II renewable energy facility.
About FirstLight Power
FirstLight Power (FirstLight) is a leading clean power producer, developer, and energy storage company serving North America. With a diversified portfolio that includes over 1,400 megawatts of operating renewable energy and energy storage technologies, FirstLight specializes in hybrid solutions that pair hydroelectric, pumped-hydro storage, utility-scale solar, large-scale battery, and offshore wind assets. The company’s mission is to accelerate the decarbonization of the electric grid by supporting the development, operation, and integration of renewable energy and storage solutions to advance an electric system that is clean, reliable, affordable, and equitable. Based in Burlington, MA, with operating offices in Northfield, MA and New Milford, CT, FirstLight is a steward of more than 14,000 acres and hundreds of miles of shoreline along some of the most beautiful rivers and lakes in the Northeast. To learn more, visit www.firstlightpower.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
About Energy New England (ENE)
ENE is the largest wholesale risk management and energy trading organization serving the needs of municipal utilities in New England. ENE works with numerous businesses, residents, and utilities to help promote the principles of conservation, efficiency, and environmental stewardship, and advances the many benefits available through integrated sustainability planning – including home energy audit programs, electric vehicle programs, wholesale energy procurement and risk management programs, regulatory and lobbying services. www.ene.org.
Contacts
Media:
For FirstLight Power
Len Greene, Head of External Affairs
Cell: 203-232-7267, Email: leonard.greene@firstlightpower.com
Travis Small, Slowey McManus Communications
Cell: 617-538-9041, Email: tsmall@sloweymcmanus.com
For ENE
Vincent J. Ragucci, III
Cell: 508-698-1240, Email: vragucci@ene.org
