Join the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) and New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE) for our eighth annual event on Thursday, September 22! This panel discussion will surround peaker plants and their role as Connecticut works towards a carbon-free future. 

Peaker plants serve a unique role in our current grid by providing key reliability services. However, many peakers emit pollutants at a higher rate than baseload plants. The majority are located in communities with a higher percentage of low-income households, and peakers disproportionately impact communities of color. As Connecticut acts on its commitment to a decarbonized energy future, what are our alternatives for filling the role currently played by fossil peakers? What are the business, policy, infrastructure, market and equity pieces that need to fall into place to make this transition? Our panelists are all regional leaders who have been actively tackling these questions.

• Tracy Babbidge, Chief of the Bureau of Air Management at the CT DEEP
• Alicia Barton, Chief Executive Officer at FirstLight Power
• Sharon Lewis, Executive Director at the CT Coalition on Environmental & Economic Justice
• Katherine Rougeux, Business Development Manager at the New York Power Authority
• Anne George, VP of External Affairs at ISO New England and former Connecticut DPUC Commissioner (Moderator)