Municipal Light Plant

Energy Conservation Programs

Appliance Rebate Program

This very popular program encourages customers to purchase efficient Energy Star rated appliances. These energy-efficient appliances typically save between 15-50% in energy costs, which saves customers money and helps the environment.

Eligibility is based on the Energy Star program established by the Department of Energy. Appliances that qualify for the rebate include refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers, central air-conditioners, room air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Rebates range from $50-$150. Over $25,000 in rebates was given out, nearly 20% more than in 2005.

Light Bulb Rebate Program

This very popular program allows customers to receive up to a $5.00 credit on their electric bill for every compact fluorescent or led exit sign kit they purchase. These bulbs use as much as two-thirds less electricity as compared to standard incandescent bulbs, which in turn reduces the emission of carbon dioxide into the air from electricity generating power plants. More than $8,000 was credited to participating customers in 2006, an increase of more than 40%.

Residential Conservation Service

This service, contracted through Energy New England, provides answers to customer's energy related questions. If required, an energy advisor may be sent to the home to do a complete home energy evaluation. In addition, our Appliance Calculator, located at www.concordnet.org/cmlp, allows customers to determine how much each appliance in their home costs to run.

Municipal Building Audit Program

The Municipal Building Audit Program allows municipal departments to determine their building's current energy efficiency quotient and offers a rebate for eligible measures that result in a payback to the Town's ratepayers of less than five years. There is no charge to the Town for this service. This year the Beede Pool, the Police Station and the Town facilities at 133, 135 & 141 Keyes Rd took advantage of the program

Green Power

Towards the end of 2003, the Light Plant began signing up customers interested in "green" power. Unfortunately, due to a cave-in along the spillway that runs adjacent to the Powder Mill dam, the startup of the project has been delayed. Permits for the project have now been issued and it is hoped that with luck and plenty of water flow in the Assabet River, Acton Hydro could be sending green power to Concord by early 2007. When the plant does become operational, this non-polluting power will be sold at a small premium, $3.00 per 100 kWh block (the average customer uses about 925 kWhs each month).

ets Water Heater Program

Our Electric Thermal Storage (ets) heater program continues to be marketed. Currently we control a bit more than 900kW of load in the winter, saving Concord ratepayers thousands of dollars each year in avoided transmission demand charges. In the future, this program will favorably affect our power supply decisions and help keep rates low.

ets heaters are charged off peak, when electricity costs are low. The stored heat is used during on-peak periods. Off-peak charging saves the Light Plant on-peak premium costs. The savings are passed on to the customer, which currently make ets operating costs significantly lower than oil and gas for home heating.

We also continue to operate our residential water heater Energy Efficiency Program (eep). With eep Concord Light shifts cycling the time of connected hot water heaters to avoid expensive "peak" electricity charges. Currently, the water heaters of approximately 385 customers are controlled. In exchange, these customers receive a reduced rate for water heating, saving each about $200 per year, all while not effecting a noticeable difference in their hot water supply.

Administration

The Concord Municipal Light Plant operates as a completely self-sustaining, non-profit, Enterprise Fund within the Town. No property tax money is required or used. All operating expenses, capital investments, and debt service are paid from electric revenues. In addition, the Light Plant contributes to the Town via a Payment-in-Lieu-of Taxes (pilot). For 2006, this formula-based payment was $340,000 and is at least the equivalent of the property taxes that would be paid by a non-municipal utility.

Future Power Supply

Our existing power supply contract expires in 2009. In anticipation of this, Concord Light has signed a contract to purchase approximately 10 megawatts of power from the gas-fired power plant currently being built by Braintree Electric Light Department, a fellow municipal electric utility. In addition we have signed a letter of interest with the Taunton Municipal Light Plant to purchase 10mW of power from their proposed gas-fired generating facility. In addition we are exploring a variety of other power supply options, including a renewable resource in Russell, ma, to round out our portfolio.

Power Supply Costs

The largest single expense for the Light Plant, by far, is the cost for purchasing electricity and transmitting it to Concord. For 2006 this came to $11,400,000 approximately, some 70% of our total expenditures. The remaining 30% funds everything else, i.e., line repairs and maintenance, construction of new facilities, employee salaries, equipment, debt, payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, insurance, conservation programs and billing operations.

Construction Activity for 2006

2006 proved to be another busy year for construction. Numerous projects were completed.

Main Street Utility Improvement Project

• Installed service conduits from River Street to Sudbury Road

• Designed underground distributions circuits to feed customers between River Street and Sudbury Road

Stow Street and Everett Street

• Designed and installed two underground primary electrical distributions circuits

Virginia Road underground project

• Completed the installation of the new underground primary distribution circuits on Virginia Road

• Converted the existing load from the overhead primary distribution circuits to the new underground system

Blueberry Lane

• Designed and built a new underground primary electric distribution system to replace the existing direct buried primary distribution system

Hill Street & Buckmaster Drive

• Designed and built a new underground primary electric distribution system to replace the existing direct buried primary distribution system

Indian Pipe & Stone Root Lane

• Designed and built a new underground primary electric distribution system to replace the existing direct buried primary distribution system

Caterina Heights

• Designed and built a new underground primary electric distribution system to replace the existing direct buried primary distribution system

Pine Hill Lane

• Designed and built a new underground primary electric distribution system to replace the existing direct buried primary distribution system

Designed, built and upgraded the overhead primary distribution circuit along Coolidge Road

Designed and built a new primary underground electrical distribution system to feed the new irrigation system at Ripley Field on Meriam Rd.

Purchased and installed new street light poles, fixtures and arms for the West Concord and Thoreau Street business districts

Emerson Hospital

• Designed a new underground primary electrical distribution system

• Designed and built a temporary underground primary electric distribution system to feed the hospital during construction phase of their s.c.o.r.e. project

Designed a new underground primary electrical distribution system to feed the Deaconess pumping station on o.r.n.a.c

Redesigned and reconfigured the automatic electricity transfer scheme at Substation 219

Overhead facilities

• Replaced approximately 100 overhead fused cutouts

• Checked the overhead facilities for hot points using an Infra-Red System

• Reconductored the overhead primary electrical distribution system that feeds the Wildlife Refuge

• Replaced the failed overhead gang switch on pole 25, Walden Street

Personnel and Training

Lineworkers Joe Venti and Peter Hughes upgrade porcelain cutout switches

Four new employees joined us in 2006. Doreen Youden and Rebecca Cheng are new Senior Accounting Clerks, Tom Sawchuck is the new Building Maintenance Custodian and Deborah Mullen joins us as new Senior Administrative Assistant.

The Line Division continued to receive safety training on a variety of topics including electrical procedures, manhole gas dangers and work practices. The Meter Division also took part in safety training and the entire department received fire safety training. osha rules and regulations were also reviewed for any updates.