WBMLP's Clean & Renewable Energy Strategy

WBMLP's Headquarters
WBMLP Headquarters

West Boylston Owns and Purchases Energy from Many Clean and Renewable Sources as a Community

We're often asked about our Energy Strategy and Sources of Generation. "Where does my electricity come from?" "Is it clean, renewable and low-impact on our environment?" "What are we doing to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions?" The answer is: West Boylston's overall energy supply today—and forecasted through 2045-2050 is exceptionally diverse, clean and economical. It comes from sources, both generated here in our community and from in and around New England. In turn, you pay some of the lowest electricity rates in the state—comprised of a clean portfolio of power generation that emits very low or no greenhouse gases.

See a more comprehensive look at WBMLP's Energy Supply on our Energy Generation Page.


53.9% of West Boylston’s Energy Supply Emitted “ZERO” Greenhouse Gases in 2021

West Boylston’s clean energy generation includes large-scale hydroelectricity and nuclear energy generation. This type of energy generation is considered “clean energy” by the Massachusetts “Clean Energy Standard” (CES) and also counts towards our locally adopted Green House Gas Emissions Standard (GGES). This means that 53.9% of our West Boylston’s energy supply emitted “ZERO” Greenhouse Gases in 2021!

WBMLP expects our clean energy supply to provide low cost and clean energy to all residents and businesses in West Boylston through at least 2045-2057.


West Boylston’s Board of Lighting Commissioners establishes a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard (GGES)

Our locally approved GGES sets the minimum percentage of non-carbon emitting energy sold to retail customers as follows:

  • 50% by 2030
  • 75% by 2040
  • 100% by 2050

Click here to see WBMLP’s Board Vote and the GGES. West Boylston’s GGES supports the Commonwealth’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while acknowledging and preserving local control of your municipal lighting plant operations, finances, and rates. Some key points regarding the bill:

  • Requires WBMLP to meet the same carbon emission reduction standards applied to the distribution companies and competitive energy suppliers
  • Identifies the attributes of emission free generation and purchased power that qualifies under the standard.
  • Recognizes and supports our current statutory framework and the business model unique to WBMLP
  • Non-carbon emitting attributes are those generated by; solar photovoltaic, solar thermal electric, nuclear, hydroelectric, marine or hydrokinetic energy, geothermal energy, landfill methane, anaerobic digester gas, biomass fuel and other generation qualified under the Commonwealth's RPS and CES programs for retail sellers of electricity.

West Boylston's Percent (%) of Energy Supply Reported as Non-GHG emitting MWh's

WBMLP, electric distribution companies, and competitive suppliers annually report to MassDEP the percent of energy supply that emits no greenhouse gases (GHG). For the past 24 years, WBMLP has an average of 56.7% non-GHG emitting energy in its annual energy supply.


WBMLP IOU Avg. MLP Avg. Nat. Grid Eversource WMECO
2050 GWSA/GGES Goal Net-Zero Net-Zero Net-Zero Net-Zero Net-Zero Net-Zero
2040 GWSA/GGES Goal 70.0% 70.0% 70.0% 70.0% 70.0% 70.0%
2030 GWSA/GGES Goal 50.0% 50.0% 50.0% 50.0% 50.0% 50.0%

2022 Estimate 58.2%          
2021 53.9%          
2020 49.8%          
2019 53.1%          
2018 50.1% 21.0% 32.2% NA NA NA
2017 50.4%     15.8% 14.3% 12.4%
2016 51.5%     12.1% 10.1% 11.1%
2015 49.1%     7.4% 9.7% 11.2%
2014 48.3%     6.7% 8.7% 8.9%
2013 50.1%     6.2% 7.3% 6.7%
2012 44.0%     3.7% 4.6% 5.3%
2011 42.0%     2.5% 3.4% 4.2%
2010 49.3%     2.0% 2.1%  
2009** 66.8%          
2008 61.4%          
2007 67.8%          
2006 56.6%          
2005 57.6%          
2004 69.9%          
2003 61.6%          
2002 67.6%          
2001 73.2%          
2000 70.7%          
1999 58.2%          
1998 58.8%          
Average thru 2021 56.7%          

Notes:
GWSA: Global Warming Solutions Act
GGES: Greenhouse Gas Emision Standard
NA: Not published separately by MassDEP as of this date.
**MassDEP AQ Reporting Stats
Source: https://www.mass.gov/lists/massachusetts-greenhouse-gas-ghg-reporting-program-data


10% of West Boylston’s 2021 energy supply is renewable energy as defined by the Massachusetts “Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard” (RPS).

Renewable energy is defined in Massachusetts as generation that includes; Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Biomass, Landfill Gas, Small-Scale Hydroelectricity, Digester Gas and Waste Energy. These renewable energy sources typically generate environmental attributes called “Renewable Energy Credits” or “RECs”. WBMLP currently sells the RECs from our Berkshire wind project and the three solar generation systems located within West Boylston. Since we sell these RECs we do not count this energy towards our GGES yet. WBMLP will continue to sell our RECs until we pay off the construction loans used to invest in this renewable energy. Once the loans are paid, WBMLP expects to retire the RECs according to the following schedule:

Renewable Energy Generation REC Retirement Date
333 kW Solar 1 End of 2021
1.86 MW Community Landfill Cap Solar End of 2026
786 kW Community Roof-Top Solar End of 2028
1.1 MW Berkshire Wind End of 2030

Once WBMLP retires these RECs, we can include these additional amounts of non GHG emitting energy supply towards our GGES. WBMLP does not purchase or own the RECs from the small-scale hydroelectricity we purchase from New Hampshire and the wind energy we purchase from Princeton Wind and Hancock Wind. However, even though WBMLP doesn’t own these RECs, our long-term commitment to purchase the energy output from these renewable energy generators, help ensure their continued operation.

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