Sustainability

Energy Supply & Planning:

To keep rates low to all customers, TMLP monitors the available energy supply and sources on a daily basis to not only ensure that we get the best price, but that the energy source is reliable, efficient and sustainable. TMLP purchases its power on both a short and long-term basis to take advantage of the fluctuating market. This decision to keep the options open has enabled TMLP to keep rates lower than the investor-owned utilities.

During the past year, TMLP's Energy Supply and Planning staff proactively pursued solar contracts to enhance its clean energy portfolio and negotiated with two solar developers - Community Energy, and Borrego Solar – to provide services. More than a dozen residential customers and a handful of commercial customers have taken advantage of the opportunity to harness solar energy, offsetting demand and reducing future costs for all customers.

A new general rate restructure went into effect in February 2011 which includes ratcheted rates for a small number of customers that operate seasonal facilities or facilities which are only used occasionally and whose peak usage does not come during traditional peak times. Block rates were also created for residential customers, new interruptible rates for some commercial customers were implemented allowing TMLP to manage loads during high peak times – which saved an estimated $100,000 for these customers, and net metering was added to encourage customers to invest in renewable energy technologies and lessen the load on the system.

Generation:

TMLP generates its own power when ISO New England determines that electricity is needed to meet the real-time demand of the New England region and maintain an adequate reserve of resources. TMLP's Power Production Department's generating unit at the Cleary- Flood Station was on line for 65 days in 2011, for a total of 839.76 hours, generating 56,714 megawatts (MW) of power. In addition to providing power when required during the year, the Production Department provided additional personnel, as well as 24-hour monitoring of the power systems, before, during and after Tropical Storm Irene.

In the advent of newly proposed environmental regulations, the Unit # 9 boiler fuel conversion from No.6 fuel to No.2 fuel was incorporated into a new boiler design to be constructed during the upcoming major inspection of the Unit in 2013. The scope work and schedule were identified and cost estimates were budgeted and approved.

Work at the station was ongoing in 2011, with the re-building of two blast walls at the Station Service and the #8 Generator Transformers. An electronic Work Order program was designed and implemented, and the two- million gallon #8 fuel oil tank repair, de-leading and coating project was completed. A design for a new impervious containment system for the # 8 tank was also completed for 2012 installation, and the Unit # 8 & 9 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application effort was approved by the EPA.

Thermal analysis of the Unit # 9 boiler walls was performed utilizing TMLP's infrared equipment; subsequent repairs identified areas to address and yielded safety and cost effective efficiency improvements on the main boiler.

Environmental:

TMLP's Environmental Department is charged with identifying, addressing and responding to safety and environmental matters at all TMLP facilities. Not only does this include the safeguarding of TMLP facilities and the natural resources in the surrounding areas, it also includes ensuring the safety of TMLP crews and customers. The department ensures that many TMLP staff are CPR/First Aid trained and certified with a number of TMLP vehicles equipped with portable defibrillators. As is the case each year, including 2011, the department conducted its annual spill exercise for the OPA90 regulations at Cleary-Flood power plant.

During 2011, the Environmental Department was successfully involved with the completion of the cleanup of the 500 West Water Street generating station, which involved the removal of asbestos, oil and contaminated soil.

The Environmental Department was also called into action in August when two transformer oil spills occurred in Taunton as a result of the tropical storm.