GGES Emissions Standard

West Boylston’s Board of Light Commissioners Adopts Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard (GGES)

West Boylston recognizes the importance of protecting our environment and reducing GHG emissions from our energy supply. In August 2019, WBMLP’s Board of Light Commissioners adopted a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard (GGES). Our GGES supports the Commonwealth’s GHG emission reduction goals, while acknowledging and preserving local control of your municipal lighting plant. In 2021 the GGES become state law and now requires all (40) MLP’s to reduce greenhouse gas emissions according to the following schedule:

• 50% by 2030
• 75% by 2040
• “Net-Zero” by 2050

Our GGES requires WBMLP to meet the same GHG emission reduction standards as the electric distribution companies and competitive energy suppliers are required to meet. The GGES also does the following:

• Identifies the attributes of emission free generation and purchased power that qualifies under the GGES standard.
• Allows the use all 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 Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the Clean Energy Standard (CES).
• Allows the use of environmental attributes, like REC’s, EFEC’s, and CEC’s, to meet our GHG reduction goals if these attributes are not used or claimed by any other entity other than WBMLP.

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

West Boylston already purchases or owns large-scale hydroelectricity and nuclear energy. These energy resources do not emit any GHG’s and count towards our GGES. For the past 24 years, 56.7% of WBMLP’s average annual energy supply did not emit GHG’s, mainly from these two resources. WBMLP expects our hydroelectricity and nuclear energy supplies to provide low cost and non-GHG emitting energy to all residents and businesses in West Boylston through at least 2045-2050.

West Boylston's Annual Percentage (%) of Non-GHG emitting MWh's

WBMLP, electric distribution companies, and competitive suppliers are required to report the percent of energy supply that emits no greenhouse gases (GHG). For the past 24 years, WBMLP average annual percentage of non-GHG emitting energy supply was 56.7%.

In the following chart, you can see how clean and renewable WBMLP’s energy has been since 1998 and how we compare to other MLP’s and electric utilities. WBMLP already meets its 2030 GGES goal and is actively planning to meet the 2040 GGES goal ahead of schedule as well.

	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%

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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

West Boylston Owns or Purchases Energy from many Clean & Renewable Resources

We're often asked about our Energy Strategy and Sources of Generation. "Where does my electricity come from?" "Is it clean and/or renewable?" "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 a variety of non-GHG emitting resources, generated here in our community and around New England, including New York and Canada. See a more comprehensive look at WBMLP's 2021 Energy Supply. Don’t forget, not only are we halfway to NetZero GHG emissions in 2050, you pay one of the lowest electricity rates in Massachusetts!