{"id":15969,"date":"2025-07-31T11:22:42","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gcdev3.com\/mwra\/?p=15969"},"modified":"2025-12-01T15:50:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T20:50:34","slug":"mwra-and-massachusetts-leading-by-example-on-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gcdev3.com\/mwra\/mwra-and-massachusetts-leading-by-example-on-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"MWRA and Massachusetts – leading by example on climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Over the last two decades MWRA has embraced the state’s ambitious climate resiliency challenge through Executive Orders to “Lead by Example” by, increasing its renewable energy portfolio to meet 20% or $8 million of its own energy needs, decreasing its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 41%, and incorporating sea-level rise into its facility asset protection program. The Authority has incorporated a future facing pursuit of carbon neutrality and climate resiliency into its core mission to protect public health and provide clean water.<\/p>\n

\n

Today, energy efficiency, renewable energy production and preparation for sea-level rise are woven into the DNA of the MWRA.<\/p>\n

\n
Yet given the nature of MWRA’s services, specifically wastewater treatment, the path to net-zero or carbon neutrality presents a daunting challenge. Wastewater treatment requires a lot of energy, its processes emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases and regulations require treatment plants to have a backup power source sufficient enough to provide uninterrupted operation. For Deer Island, backup power is supplied by two 26 megawatt diesel powered combustion turbine generators (CTG) which are turned on in advance of every significant precipitation event.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
At MWRA wastewater operations represent 90% of all emissions.<\/div>\n
\n\u201cWill MWRA meet the state\u2019s goal of net-zero by 2050?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
This thoughtful question was raised by MWRA Board Member, Brian Swett and in response, MWRA staff prepared a series of three informational briefings.<\/div>\n
\n
\n

At the July 2025 Board of Directors meeting, MWRA Manager, Energy, Kristen Patneaude provided the second of three scheduled updates on the Authority’s work on sustainability and climate resiliency. Ms. Patneaude’s presentation focused on the Authority’s success to date managing both energy consumption and production as well as on its ongoing strategy to increase energy efficiency and de-carbonization.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

This energy update followed a presentation in April prepared by Michael O\u2019Keefe, Senior Program Manager, Planning, which focused on the MWRA’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and will conclude with a presentation this fall on the Authority’s achievements in protecting vulnerable facilities from the effects of climate change.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n
\n

As an environmental organization, MWRA has a long-standing commitment to pursuing energy conservation, energy efficiency and utilizing renewable non-carbon energy sources. Grid-tied hydropower facilities, Oakdale and Cosgrove, brought on line in the 1960\u2019s to capture energy where water enters and leaves the reservoirs and moves eastward and downhill into metropolitan area, and are still in operation today. The existing combined heat power system (CHP) utilizing digester gas was put in service in 1997 when the new Deer Island Treatment Plant came online.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Over the last two decades the Authority has embraced the state’s challenge through Executive Orders to “Lead by Example”,<\/span> increasing its renewable energy portfolio to meet 20% or $8 million of its own energy needs, decreasing its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 41%, and incorporating sea-level rise into its facility asset protection program. Authority has incorporated a future facing pursuit of carbon neutrality and climate resiliency into its core mission to protect public health and provide clean water. Energy efficiency, renewable energy production and preparation for sea-level rise are now woven into the DNA of the MWRA.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

At July’s meeting, Secretary Rebecca Tepper, chair of the MWRA Board of Directors expressed her appreciation of the work that has gone into thinking about this challenge at MWRA on so many different levels, noting that the Authority’s approach could be a model for other agencies and companies on how to take a comprehensive approach toward addressing the challenge of climate resiliency.<\/p>\n

\n
\nThe MWRA Strategies for GHG emissions:<\/p>\n