Join the peaker watch project!
Action at Tanner Street peaker plant in Lowell, MA.
Together, we can scrub oil from New England’s electric grid.
Scattered across our region are about 30 oil-burning peaker plants plants that rarely run. When they do, they’re responsible for extensive pollution and environmental injustice. And whether they run or not, they get millions of dollars from subsidies built into our electric bills.
These plants’ funding needs to be repurposed for a just transition. The electric grid hookups that they’re sitting on do, too.
That’s why we’ve got a plan to shut these oil peaker plants down.
Peaker watch: why it matters
Public data shows us when oil’s being burned for electricity, but we also need to know which power plants are doing it when. Our electric grid operator keeps that info secret. So, we’re collecting some data ourselves:
Which plants never run. They could shut down today with zero change to our electricity access, and we pay them to do nothing. These can be strategic early targets for activism!
Which plants sometimes run. Some of these plants will also be important early targets, because their neighborhoods are dealing with the harmful impacts of oil.
Around the region, folks are heading out to check on our local oil plants, track their activity over time, and build community with our neighbors in the process. It takes a lot of people to cover all these plants, and we’d love to have you join us!
peaker watch: how it works
Identify your peaker. Check out our map of peaker plants around the region so you can pinpoint the one closest to you!
Find some friends. Everything’s better with a buddy! Ask a friend or neighbor if they’ll keep you company while you swing past the peaker. We might be able to connect you with others in your area as well.
Check for oil on the grid. Join our groupchat for alerts, and keep an eye on this fuel mix tracker when you can.
Observe your peaker. We’ve got a toolkit with some notes about what to look for.
Report your observations. There’s an easy form!
Repeat! It might take a bit of time to figure out what’s going on with oil in New England. But building the teams it takes to watch these peaker plants will super-charge our ability to take action together and shut them down.
Get involved!
Fill out our quick sign-up form and we’ll loop you into what you’ll need to get started as a peaker watcher: toolkits, links, and campaign members near you. Thanks for helping keep an eye on your local peaker plant.
Graffiti at an oil-powered peaker plant in Uncasville, CT. The spray paint on the cement blocks says “Since you’re not using your grid tie, can we have it?”
