Introduction General Manager's Letter Commissioners' Letter Year In Review Employees 2018 Financials

Year In Review

Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant staff work on numerous multi-discipline projects and services throughout the year to keep the utility running smoothly and ensure uninterrupted services to its customers. During 2018, staff and managers participated in ongoing training and educational opportunities which resulted in a well-rounded and educated workforce. An Environmental Compliance Administrator position was added to oversee compliance and safety regulations for the utility.

The West Water Street distributed generation project has already provided a benefit in 2018 resulting in peak load reductions, controlled costs and significant savings in avoided costs. As a result, rates remained stable and increases were not warranted.

TMLP entered into an agreement for its first community solar project and work began in 2018. Located in Raynham the 2,940-kW, 8,640-panel solar system is expected to begin production in 2019. Qualified customers who signed up for the program will receive a percentage of the power generated as well as credit on their monthly invoice while in the program. Nearly 800 Raynham residential customers expressed interest to be among the first 400 customers to participate in the program that is expected to run until December 2028.

A $1.25M grant for the battery storage project was awarded to TMLP in late 2017. Planning and permitting was carried out in 2018 and we expected to break ground in the fall of 2019.

Improvements to the Cleary-Flood and West Water Street stations were ongoing throughout the year. The retubing of the Cleary-Flood condenser was completed and plans for replacing the siding were finalized, two projects that reflect significant investment in the future of the generating station.

Technology and IT network upgrades at the TMLP stations and substations continued as they did throughout the utility. The outage management system which can be accessed through the website was enhanced with input and involvement from several key areas, including Engineering and Customer Care. Internal emergency management communication was updated to include a mobile application and a web-based administrative portal to be utilized in the event of an emergency.

In 2018 an additional 69 residential solar projects were completed, representing an additional 578.97 kW of power and $310,500 in solar rebates. Total solar connected power at year end was 21,966,953kWh produced, and 13,753,188kWh consumed by 275 residential and 27 commercial customers, and six solar farms. The Residential Conservation Service Program performed 442 thermal imaging and energy audits for residential and commercial customers in 2018, an increase of 173 over the previous year (2017). The residential appliance rebate program was expanded in 2018 to include select ENERGY STAR-qualified programmable or Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats, ground source or ductless min-split heat pumps, electric clothes dryers and dehumidifiers. A total of 405 rebates were awarded in 2018 for the purchase of qualified appliances.

TMLP continued to replace mercury streetlights with high efficiency LED lights. Originally funded through a $109,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Protection, the project has replaced 3,900 lights since the program began in 2015, resulting in a total savings of 1.969 MWh. Work on the 3.5-mile dedicated 13.8KV feeder from Whittenton Substation #18 to Myles Standish Industrial Park neared completion at year end. TMLP crews responded to four incidences requiring mutual aid efforts to restore power in Ipswich, Merrimack and Hudson, and with crews from New Hampshire Electric Co-op.

Significant progress was made on the Electric Vehicle (EV) rebate and level 2 charger program set to launch in 2019. TMLP worked with Energy New England and local electric car dealerships to finalize the program.

TMLP Online Internet Services Group launched a new "fiberhood" tracking software program to expand internet within the service territory, one neighborhood at a time. The software helps identify and monitor areas in which there is interest in TMLP internet services with a goal to bring services to those areas in a shorter period of time.

As part of the ongoing efforts to engage the community, TMLP launched its Facebook page in 2018 attracting more than 1,000 followers in six months. TMLP’s presence on Facebook enabled the department to notify customers in real-time about scams and spoofing as well as service interruptions (outages) and emergency situations. During the year, TMLP staff donated to several organizations, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the United Way, in addition to the many charitable endeavors supported by individuals and families. The 2nd annual Open House at 55 Weir Street during Public Power Week in October was another successful event with several hundred local residents in attendance. TMLP continued its association with the Leddy School as a business partner and worked with 9 organizations to hang their banners.