Potential Exelon Mystic Station Redevelopment | Everett

[stellarfun]

The Krafts’ statement, issued via a spokesperson, began: “This legislative session, our Commonwealth missed a vital opportunity to clean up a brownfields site for an environmental justice community, robbing the city of Everett and its community of the ability to remove a dilapidated and decommissioned power plant and remediate a site contaminated over the decades and replace it with a public park, water front access, and a privately funded soccer stadium — which was just one piece of this very significant project.”

The Kraft Group thanked DiDomenico and Senate President Karen Spilka for advancing the project and their “commitment to doing the right thing for the Everett community” but said the company is “deeply disappointed that the House would not take up this legislation on its own, and that the Legislature was unable to act on major legislation at the end of this session.”

“This inaction on language that had no financial commitments from state or local government has halted the public process to determine the feasibility of this project before it could even begin and passing this legislation was strictly about allowing us to start the process of determining the viability of this project for Everett,” the Krafts added. “Massachusetts’ political landscape is one of the only places where creating opportunities in environmental justice communities and rehabilitation is dictated by the needs and bargaining of political leaders with outside influences and we had hoped for a different outcome for the citizens of Everett and environmental justice for that community.”

For the rest of the year, the Legislature only meets in informal sessions — lightly-attended meetings in which a single person can hold up a bill. There’s talk on Beacon Hill of passing a slimmed-down economic development bill during informal sessions later this year. It’s possible the stadium bill could move that way or via a standalone bill. Generally speaking, though, legislative leaders don’t like to pass controversial or complex measures in informal sessions.

Speaking to reporters Thursday morning, House Speaker Ron Mariano indicated there may be a way to pass stadium legislation or other elements of the economic development bill in informal sessions when roll call votes are not held.

As noted above, all it would take to forestall this approach in an informal session would be for a single legislator to object.

Kraft Group âdeeply disappointedâ after state fails to move on Revolution stadium - The Boston Globe

A measure that could have paved the way for the Patriots owners to build a 25,000-seat soccer stadium in Everett died as the legislative session expired.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[ritchiew]

Healey has called on the legislature to come back and hash out the economic development bill that got dropped. This is the bill the senate stuck the stadium provisions in, so this is still kind of, sort of, maybe in play. Healey is using the bully pulpit to try to push this bill through, but it's much less obvious to me the stadium provisions will survive. (the bill is mainly about other economic development, especially supporting the life sciences sector)

At Healeyâs urging, lawmakers ready to call special session to pass stalled economic development bill - The Boston Globe

In separate statements Friday, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen E. Spilka said they are “prepared” to call a special formal session, a rarity in the Legislature, should they have a deal on the bill.

www.bostonglobe.com

I've known that Beacon Hill is dysfunctional like this, but is this year noticeably worse? This was like lose-faith-in-democracy bad. Major bills seem to get dropped every year, but now it was most major bills. I don't know how common it is for the governor to tell lawmakers they really need to go back and actually pass something.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Healey has called on the legislature to come back and hash out the economic development bill that got dropped. This is the bill the senate stuck the stadium provisions in, so this is still kind of, sort of, maybe in play. Healey is using the bully pulpit to try to push this bill through, but it's much less obvious to me the stadium provisions will survive. (the bill is mainly about other economic development, especially supporting the life sciences sector)

At Healeyâs urging, lawmakers ready to call special session to pass stalled economic development bill - The Boston Globe

In separate statements Friday, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen E. Spilka said they are “prepared” to call a special formal session, a rarity in the Legislature, should they have a deal on the bill.

www.bostonglobe.com

I've known that Beacon Hill is dysfunctional like this, but is this year noticeably worse? This was like lose-faith-in-democracy bad. Major bills seem to get dropped every year, but now it was most major bills. I don't know how common it is for the governor to tell lawmakers they really need to go back and actually pass something.

I think this year was noticeable worse. The legislature in their down-to-the-wire disfunction usually drops something. This year they dropped the ball on almost everything.

 

[kingofsheeba]

As noted above, all it would take to forestall this approach in an informal session would be for a single legislator to object.

Kraft Group âdeeply disappointedâ after state fails to move on Revolution stadium - The Boston Globe

A measure that could have paved the way for the Patriots owners to build a 25,000-seat soccer stadium in Everett died as the legislative session expired.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[Subdivisions]

 

[PerfectHandle]

View attachment 53717

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not, but it's worth noting that the MA legislature is arguably the LEAST democratic legislature in the country. If anything, lack of democracy is what is failing here. If there were any political cost whatsoever for these bozos, they wouldn't spill all the milk like this. Truly shameful stuff.

 

[kingofsheeba]

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not, but it's worth noting that the MA legislature is arguably the LEAST democratic legislature in the country. If anything, lack of democracy is what is failing here. If there were any political cost whatsoever for these bozos, they wouldn't spill all the milk like this. Truly shameful stuff.

Yeah, it’s just sarcasm. That’s the idea. Point well taken. Massachusetts is its own worst enemy sometimes.

 

[shmessy]

View attachment 54158

That picture pretty much says it all. What a contrast from the left/background to the remaining foreground.

 

[Londonese]

Could this be real??!? Is it back on???

Soccer stadium here believed near to reality after State House reversal

Go ahead from State House imminent Leader Herald Staff A new soccer stadium is set to reshape the landscape of Everett, Massachusetts, as plans for a 25,000-seat Major League Soccer (MLS) venue con…

everettleader.com

 

[Stlin]

Eversource today purchased the remaining Mystic Station site for $70M including Units 8&9, but not including the LNG terminal. While the article notes 8&9 will likely be demolished, it likely indicates that this site will remain power infrastructure for the foreseeable future, though Mayor DeMaria is apparently already opposed.

From natural gas plant to clean energy hub: Eversource buys part of Mystic site - The Boston Globe

The company made the $70 million purchase because the land is considered to be at a crucial spot in the region’s electricity grid.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[RandomWalk]

I’d be surprised if they bid it in the next capacity auction.

 

[Vagabond]

Eversource today purchased the remaining Mystic Station site for $70M including Units 8&9, but not including the LNG terminal. While the article notes 8&9 will likely be demolished, it likely indicates that this site will remain power infrastructure for the foreseeable future, though Mayor DeMaria is apparently already opposed.

From natural gas plant to clean energy hub: Eversource buys part of Mystic site - The Boston Globe

The company made the $70 million purchase because the land is considered to be at a crucial spot in the region’s electricity grid.

www.bostonglobe.com

Eversource is already in active conversation with Jupiter on building the battery farm. This is a strategic move and not the worst from a grid reliability standpoint. Still sucks to give up waterfront property, but the site isn't a bad investment for a utility in transition. As an IOU in a deregulated state it can't bid into markets, so the plant won't operate.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Eversource is already in active conversation with Jupiter on building the battery farm. This is a strategic move and not the worst from a grid reliability standpoint. Still sucks to give up waterfront property, but the site isn't a bad investment for a utility in transition. As an IOU in a deregulated state it can't bid into markets, so the plant won't operate.

Given the strong grid interconnection, this is a great location to land future offshore wind power transmission cables. The more offshore wind we build, the more interconnect points we will need. New Bedford and Salem are great, but not enough grid interconnect capacity for all the wind power that is on the drawing board.

Mystic is a 2 GW interconnect point. New Bedford (Brayton Point) is only 1.5 GW. Salem is less than a GW.

 

[Stlin]

Given the strong grid interconnection, this is a great location to land future offshore wind power transmission cables. The more offshore wind we build, the more interconnect points we will need. New Bedford and Salem are great, but not enough grid interconnect capacity for all the wind power that is on the drawing board.

Mystic is a 2 GW interconnect point. New Bedford (Brayton Point) is only 1.5 GW. Salem is less than a GW.

Honestly I'm not too sure. Mystic would most likely be a potential landing point for the newest offshore lease areas in the Gulf of Maine, which had its first leases awarded by BOEM in October, but there are some notable obstacles around here which to me means it would be a very long term play.

Firstly, there is the fairly major issue of the Stellwagen Bank. Not only is it a national marine sanctuary that may not be possible or prudent to law cable through, it also presents some challenging geography. You could go around it, but that presents other options.

Unlike the south shore, there are more landing point opportunities around here, that may well prove simpler than Mystic - the former Pilgrim and Maine Yankee nuclear stations, the Wyman plant, Schiller Station ... Those together have 2.2GW of interconnect capacity based on their nameplates. Granted, the lease areas they announced in October have a total potential of 6.8GW, and the total area 15GW, but there's also several currently operating stations that could be future landing opportunities.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Honestly I'm not too sure. Mystic would most likely be a potential landing point for the newest offshore lease areas in the Gulf of Maine, which had its first leases awarded by BOEM in October, but there are some notable obstacles around here which to me means it would be a very long term play.

Firstly, there is the fairly major issue of the Stellwagen Bank. Not only is it a national marine sanctuary that may not be possible or prudent to law cable through, it also presents some challenging geography. You could go around it, but that presents other options.
View attachment 59028

Unlike the south shore, there are more landing point opportunities around here, that may well prove simpler than Mystic - the former Pilgrim and Maine Yankee nuclear stations, the Wyman plant, Schiller Station ... Those together have 2.2GW of interconnect capacity based on their nameplates. Granted, the lease areas they announced in October have a total potential of 6.8GW, and the total area 15GW, but there's also several currently operating stations that could be future landing opportunities.
View attachment 59026

Mystic is the single largest coastal interconnect point in the region. The capacity planned offshore is going to need that interconnection point (at some point). Routing around the Stellwagen Bank is necessary, but not impossible. (I also grant it is not going to be anyone's first choice for landing offshore power, because of the cable routing complexity -- but the capacity will eventually get used. If you think accessing Mystic is hard, try getting a de novo major interconnect site permitted on the land side.)

It is the same reason why the large battery bank is planned for next to Mystic. Add intermittent supply coming in from offshore and you have a reasonable replacement high reliability source for the gas fired station.

 

[RandomWalk]

Slightly cynical take: assuming they route around Stellwagen to the south, away from Marblehead, it sites the energy infrastructure in poorer communities. Part of the ACK RAT et al complaints about Vineyard Wind revolve around the optimal location for infrastructure finally being near the rich folks.

 

[ritchiew]

Mystic is the single largest coastal interconnect point in the region. The capacity planned offshore is going to need that interconnection point (at some point). Routing around the Stellwagen Bank is necessary, but not impossible. (I also grant it is not going to be anyone's first choice for landing offshore power, because of the cable routing complexity -- but the capacity will eventually get used. If you think accessing Mystic is hard, try getting a de novo major interconnect site permitted on the land side.)

It is the same reason why the large battery bank is planned for next to Mystic. Add intermittent supply coming in from offshore and you have a reasonable replacement high reliability source for the gas fired station.

Thanks for all the info in this thread.
But I was surprised that you call the offshore wind an "intermittent" power supply. I don't know much about this, but I thought the main benefit of being offshore was that the winds are fairly steady, or at least a consistent baseline. How intermittent are these power supplies? Is a battery bank going to be kind of standard at any connection point?

 

[JeffDowntown]

Thanks for all the info in this thread.
But I was surprised that you call the offshore wind an "intermittent" power supply. I don't know much about this, but I thought the main benefit of being offshore was that the winds are fairly steady, or at least a consistent baseline. How intermittent are these power supplies? Is a battery bank going to be kind of standard at any connection point?

Off shore wind is more consistent than onshore wind, but there are still times when the wind dies down. And even if it does not go to zero output, it is variable.

Battery banks are becoming increasingly common with the growth of wind and solar, nearly doubling every year in recent years. You cannot count on wind or solar to have peak output that coincides with peak demand.