Criticism grows on new Peabody peaker plant December 8, 2022

Salem News

[Dr. Brita Lundberg, board chair for the Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility,] urged the DEP to consider the cumulative effects of building the plant in a heavily polluted area, especially since peaker plants burn dirtier than plants that run consistently, she said.

“They only operate at peak hours so they start up and they stop a lot,” Lundberg said. “That’s a health problem because peaker power plants emit three to seven times more pollutants, like oxides of nitrogen, during startup than during one hour of full load operation.”