LETTERS: Need For Pipeline A Reality

To the Editor:

I have received many comments from our ratepayers over the last week, similar to the one that follows.

"I am sure the people of Groton would prefer to pay a little more money on their bill rather than have a new pipeline built."

First let me say, a new pipeline is not an option it is a necessity that you will see below. As a resident of Groton you have an ownership interest in the Stony Brook Energy Center, Ludlow, MA.  Stony Brook is a combined cycle dual fueled facility.  The preference is to burn natural gas, but when natural gas is not available, the power plant has to burn oil.

Last winter, Stony Brook burned 182,021 barrels of oil during times when natural gas was unavailable. By law, residential heating needs must be met before electric generators can access natural gas. Since, the natural gas transportation system COULD NOT meet the electrical generation needs of New England, Stony Brook had to burn oil. To meet last winter's electricity needs almost every oil and diesel generator in New England was running. (Causing higher generating prices.)

We have a MATH problem for the future. The war on coal in New England has been won, the battle against nuclear energy is causing casualties and the natural gas need to keep us where we are today is a 600,000 Mcf (1,000 cubic feet) or 0.6 bcf (billion cubic feet) natural gas pipeline.

The MW numbers below illustrate the number of megawatts per hour that retiring plants are able to generate:

Last week the Salem Harbor coal plant closed (720 MW)

This year the Vermont Yankee nuclear facility is closing (605 MW)

In 2017 the Brayton Point coal plant is closing (1535 MW)

Just these three closings = 2,860 MW = 2,860,000 kW

Just to make up for these three closings we need 538,338 Mcf of natural gas per day. If you would like to see the math detail, please see the postscript to this letter.

Building gas transportation that can deliver 600 Million cubic feet of natural gas per day just keeps us where we are today with the three plant closings. Stony Brook would still be burning 182,000 barrels of oil during a winter comparable to last winter and there would not be natural gas available for economic growth or new residential and commercial natural gas customers. 

If there is to be any future economic growth in New England, or natural gas available for new residential or commercial customers then the NEED is for a minimum of 2 Billion cubic feet of natural gas pipe line.

The path for the pipe is the debate. The NEED for the pipeline(s) is a reality.

Sincerely,

Kevin Kelly

Manager, Groton Electric Light Department