Letter: WMASS Rights Of Nature Seeks Signatures To Oppose Increase In Pumping Operations At Firstlight Northfield.

The Massachusetts energy storage study, commissioned by MA DOER and MassCEC, is almost complete and area residents and groups are very concerned about what this study might mean for the Connecticut River ecosystem.  The storage study was mandated by Section 80 of the clean energy legislation signed into law in 2022 – Session Law – Acts of 2022 Chapter 179 (malegislature.gov) – which requires the State to conduct a study about the need for long-term energy storage in Massachusetts as we transition to renewables – Charging Forward: Energy Storage Toward a Net Zero Commonwealth | MassCEC.  The legislation also requires the State to sign long-term contracts to procure energy storage if the results of the study find that such energy storage is needed. 

The storage study assumes that Massachusetts peak need for electricity will double by 2050 to about 50GW because of increasing electrification and will fluctuate greatly as more renewables like wind and solar come online (because amounts generated by renewables fluctuate so much).  

The study does not include policy recommendations, but there is real concern that DOER will follow up the study with recommendations that favor FirstLight Power, owner of the Northfield hydropower pumping station, and are very bad for the Connecticut River, such as

a) requiring Massachusetts utilities to sign long-term contracts with FirstLight to buy Northfield’s pumped storage, forcing Massachusetts electricity customers to pay FirstLight to significantly ramp up its Northfield pumping and generation operations, and/or

b)revising the State’s clean peak standards (which provide a kind of renewable energy credit for energy storage) to allow FirstLight to sell clean peak credits based on Northfield’s energy output, thereby incentivizing Firstlight to significantly increase Northfield’s pumping. 

DOER is seeking public comments on the study by September 1^st.  Western Mass Rights of Nature is circulating a comment letter asking DOER not to adopt policy recommendations that incentivize FirstLight to increase Northfield’s pumping operations based on the study results.  They want our elected officials to know that the true “cost” of facilities such as Northfield is far too high! People can sign the letter by reaching out to the group at wmassrn@gmail.com. 

Sarah Matthews

Sarah Matthews is a resident of Amherst and a member of Western Mass Rights of Nature