New report suggests turning Brayton Point into clean energy hub
By Bianca Buono
@BBuonoABC6
The iconic cooling towers along I-195 will stop puffing steam next year and now the race is on to try and figure out what will be done with them when they power down for good.
On Thursday, a new vision for the Brayton power plant was unveiled. It would turn one of the area’s biggest polluters into a haven for clean energy.
"Clean energy is the 21st century economy. It’s the energy of the future,” said Sylvia Broude of Toxics Action Center.
That energy could be flowing out of Brayton Point after the plant closes in 2017 if a new plan, produced by Synapse Energy Economics and proposed by local clean energy advocates, catches on.
"This report explores a vision of a clean energy hub with solar PV food waste digesters, battery storage, and an interconnection point for large amounts of offshore wind,” said Broude.
Somerset residents aren’t sure what they want to replace Brayton Point yet but say that whatever is put in needs to produce tax revenues similar to what’s paid by the plant right now and needs to help generate enough power to keep the lights on.
"Hopefully this report will bring something positive so we can generate that interest and move Somerset forward,” said Pauline Rodrigues of the Coalition for Clean Air South Coast.
There will be a community meeting to discuss this new proposal on March 15th at the AMVETS hall in Somerset.
Although the groups behind this plan are hoping to get as much support for the proposal, in the end it’s the owners of Brayton Point, Dynergy, who will have the final say on what happens to the site once it shuts off in 2017.
© WLNE-TV 2016
