Introduction General Manager's Letter Commissioners' Letter Year In Review Employees 2017 Financials

General Manager's Letter

Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant crafted a new strategic plan several years ago, which set the course for the future. The plan set specific, comprehensive goals in five key areas: customer service, workforce, finances, environment, and power supply. Decisions made, and actions taken by TMLP were to be in line with these goals.

First and foremost, our mission is, and will continue to be, to serve and protect our ratepayers by being cognizant of cost, providing reliable service and meeting our customers' needs - while embracing new, renewable energy and technology. We do that by creating a balance that enables us to maintain a diversified, cost-competitive, environmentally-responsible, reliable and sustainable power supply...this is consistent with our mission statement and at the core of our strategic plan.

The tenants of our strategic plan, as defined by our mission have never been as relevant as they are today as we navigate our way in this new economy. Our renewable energy supply continues to grow with the addition of residential solar projects during the past year. The community solar project is well underway and is on target for operation in the next year, which will bring the total number of our solar farms to six. Our distributed generation project was launched in the fall and has already provided savings in avoided costs to TMLP customers.

As a complement to this commitment to sustainability and fiscal responsibility, TMLP was awarded a $1.25 million grant to build a 1.5MW battery storage pilot project currently slated to be constructed at the Cleary-Flood Generating Station. The grant, the maximum amount awarded in the $20 million initiative, will greatly help in mitigating capacity and transmission costs while providing savings for our customers.

Another key tenet emphasizes the commitment we have made, individually and collectively as a utility, to being responsible citizens. We are truly proud of the role TMLP played in assisting in the relief efforts to restore power following Hurricane Irma in Florida and Hurricane Maria in the Caribbean. TMLP crews and equipment participated in this four-month effort, from September to December, in Orlando, Florida, and later in St. Thomas, as part a 65-plus member mutual aid effort organized by the Northeast Public Power Association and local municipal electric utilities. Many thanks to all our employees for their hard work and the sacrifice they made to be a part of this unique and selfless effort.

As we continue to embrace green energy as one component of a balanced portfolio, our rates have remained stable with no rate increase to our customers. This is a true testament to our commitment to customer service and rate payer goal of being a trusted partner for the community.