The Northeast Reliability Center is a 60 megawatt (MW) capacity reliability balancing resource located in Peabody, Massachusetts, on a site shared with the Peabody Municipal Light Plant.
The Northeast Reliability Center site in Peabody, MA.
The Northeast Reliability Center is a simple cycle gas turbine project to be used for capacity, rather than energy. This means the unit will run infrequently, when called upon by ISO New England, during times of extreme weather or system stress.
As a flexible fast-start reserve unit, with its state-of-the-art technology, the Northeast Reliability Center will produce fewer emissions, displacing existing older, less efficient, fast-start plants when it is called upon to run.
All municipal light plants (MLPs), as load-serving entities, are required to provide capacity to ISO New England. Fourteen MLPs are participating in the Northeast Reliability Center as Project Participants for the capacity. Capacity must be available to cover the MLP’s peak load, plus a reserve margin.
Prices in the ISO New England capacity market are volatile. This project locks in a price, protecting MLPs against this price volatility. Having this capacity reliability balancing resource helps the MLP stabilize rates and plan for the future.
