Wellesley Municipal Light Plant
Encyclopedia
The Town of Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) is a town department responsible for the transmission
and supply of electricity
to the residents and businesses in the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts
. The headquarters of the WMLP is located at 455 Worcester Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts
, and shares its grounds with the Wellesley Fire Department
Headquarters and Town of Wellesley Department of Public Works.
The WMLP serves 9,954 customers, of whom 8,812 are residential, 1,138 are commercial, and 4 are industrial. The largest customers (by electric demand) are Wellesley College, Babson College
, Harvard Pilgrim, SunLife Financial, and Wellesley Office Park.
The WMLP holds membership in Northeast Public Power Association (NEPPA), American Public Power Association
(APPA), and the Municipal Electric Association of Massachusetts (MEAM Mass). The WMLP has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions. It has received the NEPPA Commitment to Safety Award of 1986 - 1987, an American Public Power Association (APPA) award, and a gold award as a Reliable Public Power Provider in 2007 - 2008, to name a few.
A municipal light plant does not produce electricity on its own. It stores the electricity at substations and transforms high voltage to working home and commercial distribution within a sector. The WMLP has historically had some of the best electric rates in the country and has had long term contracts with major producers nationally. Today, the WMLP works on the national grid purchasing blocks of power under contracts over time. Current power is produced from Niagara Power of Canada and transferred to the US grid. About 80% to 90% of this power is produced via a hydro-electric methods from the Great Lakes
and is among the least expensive and cleanest in the US, with no bi-products other than mild PCB
generation from spent generators. Subsequently, the electric rates in Wellesley are very cost effective and residents have arguably the best rates in the Northeast, if not the United States, on a per mil watt cost per household.
In 1892, Wellesley
recorded a permanent population of 5,072 citizens. Wellesley Electric Light, however, serviced none of these people. In the beginning, Wellesley Electric Light purchased all of its current from the Natick Gas & Electric Company in neighboring Natick, Massachusetts
, and devoted its capabilities exclusively to street lighting. A report from the Massachusetts Commission gives the first record of service to private customers in Wellesley on July 1, 1904, almost twelve years after the foundation of Wellesley Electric Light.
The Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston, or Boston Edison (BECo; now NSTAR
), operated in Wellesley alongside the Wellesley Electric Light Division. From 1904 until 1906, BECo rendered commercial lighting services in the town. In 1906, Wellesley Electric Light took control of the commercial lighting in the town and has distributed and managed the current for commercial lighting ever since.
Wellesley's proximity to Boston
and its strictly suburban feel instigated a population growth that gained intensity after World War II
, akin to most other suburbs throughout the United States
. As Wellesley's population increased and wealthier people moved into the town, Wellesley's infrastructure
and commerce
grew rapidly. These changes provided Wellesley Electric Light with more customers and greater revenue
.
With the large amounts of money Wellesley Electric Light was accumulating, the department upgraded and built more of its electrical system with new substations
, overhead powerlines, and underground electric lines to support the increasing electric use. In 1959 the substation on Weston Road (Station 378) was completed. This substation was modified in 1970 and completely reconstructed in 2005. In 1967 the substation on Cedar Street (Station 453) was built, and in 1968 a new substation (Station 41) was completed and began distributing power to Wellesley Hills, effectively halting the original substation's use.
Today, the WMLP has a total of 33 distribution lines throughout Wellesley
and owns nine supply lines, six from the NSTAR
substation in Newton, Massachusetts
and three from the NSTAR substation in Needham, Massachusetts
. The voltage
supplied from the aforementioned substations in Newton and Needham enter Wellesley at 13,800 kV and are either distributed through the town at 13.8 kV or, through the substations and stepdown transformer
s, distributed at 4 kV.
The WMLP buildings are composed of a garage (which includes an outside transformer
and cable yard, stockroom, and linemen's room), a utilities building, a "new" substation
(Station 41), and an "old" substation. As of June 2007, the current WMLP garage is scheduled for demolition and a brand new, state of the art garage is planned for construction. The "old" substation, which is an historical building dating back to the 1920s is primarily used for storage, while the "new" substation, built in 1968, serves its respective purpose. Aside from the substation on the grounds of the WMLP, it owns two other main substations throughout Wellesley
. One of these substations (Station 378) was rebuilt and renovated with new equipment from 2005 to 2006.
The WMLP fleet consists of 23 vehicles. These vehicles are: two diggers, a forklift, two cable trucks (for underground electric lines), five bucket trucks, an electrician truck, a dump truck
, a fire alarm/street light van, a meter reading van, four pickup trucks, and five management vehicles.
The WMLP holds a unique position within the municipality
. For more than 100 years, the WMLP was officially a DPW department and known as the Wellesley Electric Light Division. However, in the year of 1994, the WMLP acquired independent town department status within the municipality and is a separate entity from the DPW. The WMLP answers to the Municipal Light Plant Board while the DPW answers to the Board of Public Works.
. A large area of the Fort Devens
army base was converted into a planned community
in the late 1990s. The WMLP is responsible for the electrical supply of the approximately 120 residences and 180 commercial enterprises. The WMLP also maintains supply lines which provide electricity to the remaining Fort Devens military establishment. This contract, however, is complex due to security concerns. The military takes control of the supply lines at a certain point along the system and maintains and operates its own electrical infrastructure within the base.
The WMLP management consists of a Director, Business Manager, Superintendent, Supervisory Electrical Engineer, and two Line Supervisors (one of whom is responsible for Devens). The WMLP also employs an Accountant, Construction Engineer, Office Assistant, and six Customer Service Representatives. The Director of the WMLP is Richard F. Joyce, the Business Manager is Debra J. Healy, and the Superintendent is Donald H. Newell.
The WMLP employs 14 electric line workers. These include three Crew Leaders, six First Class Linemen, three Second Class Linemen, one Lead Cable Splicer, and one Apprentice Lineman. In addition to the line workers, the WMLP employs a Lead Meter Reader, two Substation
Operators, a full-time Stockkeeper, a part-time Stockkeeper, an Engineering Technician, a Fire Alarm/Traffic Signal Specialist, and a Class A Electrician
.
This information is correct as of July 1, 2007.
.
The WMLP makes it mandatory that all of its employees attend frequent safety presentations and that they practice real-world safety operations, both planned and unplanned. In addition to the various safety presentations and demonstrations, the WMLP has a Safety Committee that meets monthly.
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
and supply of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
to the residents and businesses in the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
. The headquarters of the WMLP is located at 455 Worcester Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
, and shares its grounds with the Wellesley Fire Department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
Headquarters and Town of Wellesley Department of Public Works.
The WMLP serves 9,954 customers, of whom 8,812 are residential, 1,138 are commercial, and 4 are industrial. The largest customers (by electric demand) are Wellesley College, Babson College
Babson College
Babson College is a private business school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts near Boston.- History :Babson College was founded by Roger Babson on September 3, 1919, as the Babson Institute. It was renamed "Babson College" in 1969...
, Harvard Pilgrim, SunLife Financial, and Wellesley Office Park.
The WMLP holds membership in Northeast Public Power Association (NEPPA), American Public Power Association
American Public Power Association
The American Public Power Association is the service organization for the more than 2,000 U.S. community-owned electric utilities that serve more than 46 million Americans....
(APPA), and the Municipal Electric Association of Massachusetts (MEAM Mass). The WMLP has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions. It has received the NEPPA Commitment to Safety Award of 1986 - 1987, an American Public Power Association (APPA) award, and a gold award as a Reliable Public Power Provider in 2007 - 2008, to name a few.
A municipal light plant does not produce electricity on its own. It stores the electricity at substations and transforms high voltage to working home and commercial distribution within a sector. The WMLP has historically had some of the best electric rates in the country and has had long term contracts with major producers nationally. Today, the WMLP works on the national grid purchasing blocks of power under contracts over time. Current power is produced from Niagara Power of Canada and transferred to the US grid. About 80% to 90% of this power is produced via a hydro-electric methods from the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and is among the least expensive and cleanest in the US, with no bi-products other than mild PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
generation from spent generators. Subsequently, the electric rates in Wellesley are very cost effective and residents have arguably the best rates in the Northeast, if not the United States, on a per mil watt cost per household.
History of the WMLP
The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant was founded on December 13, 1892 as the Wellesley Electric Light Division of the Town of Wellesley Department of Public Works. Unlike most municipal light plants at the time, the Town of Wellesley built an entirely new plant for its new electric division instead of buying existing facilities.In 1892, Wellesley
Wellesley
- People :* Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , Irish soldier, statesman, and Prime Minister of the UK* Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington , British politician* Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington , British soldier...
recorded a permanent population of 5,072 citizens. Wellesley Electric Light, however, serviced none of these people. In the beginning, Wellesley Electric Light purchased all of its current from the Natick Gas & Electric Company in neighboring Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
, and devoted its capabilities exclusively to street lighting. A report from the Massachusetts Commission gives the first record of service to private customers in Wellesley on July 1, 1904, almost twelve years after the foundation of Wellesley Electric Light.
The Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston, or Boston Edison (BECo; now NSTAR
NSTAR
NSTAR is a utility company that provides retail electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Massachusetts, including the Boston urban area....
), operated in Wellesley alongside the Wellesley Electric Light Division. From 1904 until 1906, BECo rendered commercial lighting services in the town. In 1906, Wellesley Electric Light took control of the commercial lighting in the town and has distributed and managed the current for commercial lighting ever since.
Wellesley's proximity to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and its strictly suburban feel instigated a population growth that gained intensity after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, akin to most other suburbs throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As Wellesley's population increased and wealthier people moved into the town, Wellesley's infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
and commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
grew rapidly. These changes provided Wellesley Electric Light with more customers and greater revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
.
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
, overhead powerlines, and underground electric lines to support the increasing electric use. In 1959 the substation on Weston Road (Station 378) was completed. This substation was modified in 1970 and completely reconstructed in 2005. In 1967 the substation on Cedar Street (Station 453) was built, and in 1968 a new substation (Station 41) was completed and began distributing power to Wellesley Hills, effectively halting the original substation's use.
Today, the WMLP has a total of 33 distribution lines throughout Wellesley
Wellesley
- People :* Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , Irish soldier, statesman, and Prime Minister of the UK* Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington , British politician* Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington , British soldier...
and owns nine supply lines, six from the NSTAR
NSTAR
NSTAR is a utility company that provides retail electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Massachusetts, including the Boston urban area....
substation in Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
and three from the NSTAR substation in Needham, Massachusetts
Needham, Massachusetts
Needham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 28,886 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. The voltage
Voltage
Voltage, otherwise known as electrical potential difference or electric tension is the difference in electric potential between two points — or the difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points...
supplied from the aforementioned substations in Newton and Needham enter Wellesley at 13,800 kV and are either distributed through the town at 13.8 kV or, through the substations and stepdown transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s, distributed at 4 kV.
Facts about the WMLP
The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant utilizes state of the art equipment and maintains a large facility for its machinery and stock.The WMLP buildings are composed of a garage (which includes an outside transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
and cable yard, stockroom, and linemen's room), a utilities building, a "new" substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
(Station 41), and an "old" substation. As of June 2007, the current WMLP garage is scheduled for demolition and a brand new, state of the art garage is planned for construction. The "old" substation, which is an historical building dating back to the 1920s is primarily used for storage, while the "new" substation, built in 1968, serves its respective purpose. Aside from the substation on the grounds of the WMLP, it owns two other main substations throughout Wellesley
Wellesley
- People :* Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , Irish soldier, statesman, and Prime Minister of the UK* Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington , British politician* Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington , British soldier...
. One of these substations (Station 378) was rebuilt and renovated with new equipment from 2005 to 2006.
Dump truck
A dump truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of...
, a fire alarm/street light van, a meter reading van, four pickup trucks, and five management vehicles.
The WMLP holds a unique position within the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
. For more than 100 years, the WMLP was officially a DPW department and known as the Wellesley Electric Light Division. However, in the year of 1994, the WMLP acquired independent town department status within the municipality and is a separate entity from the DPW. The WMLP answers to the Municipal Light Plant Board while the DPW answers to the Board of Public Works.
Devens
The WMLP services the recently established town of Devens, Massachusetts, located in the Montachusett region in Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
. A large area of the Fort Devens
Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
army base was converted into a planned community
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
in the late 1990s. The WMLP is responsible for the electrical supply of the approximately 120 residences and 180 commercial enterprises. The WMLP also maintains supply lines which provide electricity to the remaining Fort Devens military establishment. This contract, however, is complex due to security concerns. The military takes control of the supply lines at a certain point along the system and maintains and operates its own electrical infrastructure within the base.
Organization of the WMLP
The WMLP is a town department, composed of 37 employees working in management, customer service, and electric line work positions.The WMLP management consists of a Director, Business Manager, Superintendent, Supervisory Electrical Engineer, and two Line Supervisors (one of whom is responsible for Devens). The WMLP also employs an Accountant, Construction Engineer, Office Assistant, and six Customer Service Representatives. The Director of the WMLP is Richard F. Joyce, the Business Manager is Debra J. Healy, and the Superintendent is Donald H. Newell.
The WMLP employs 14 electric line workers. These include three Crew Leaders, six First Class Linemen, three Second Class Linemen, one Lead Cable Splicer, and one Apprentice Lineman. In addition to the line workers, the WMLP employs a Lead Meter Reader, two Substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
Operators, a full-time Stockkeeper, a part-time Stockkeeper, an Engineering Technician, a Fire Alarm/Traffic Signal Specialist, and a Class A Electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
.
This information is correct as of July 1, 2007.
Safety at the WMLP
The WMLP retains a good safety record, with streaks of 568 days and 998 days without a work-related injury. The current record of the WMLP is 633 days (as of June 26, 2007). This is a notable feat, as Electric Line Work is rated 8 in the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The WMLP makes it mandatory that all of its employees attend frequent safety presentations and that they practice real-world safety operations, both planned and unplanned. In addition to the various safety presentations and demonstrations, the WMLP has a Safety Committee that meets monthly.
Miscellaneous facts
- The Net WorthNet worthIn business, net worth is the total assets minus total outside liabilities of an individual or a company. For a company, this is called shareholders' preference and may be referred to as book value. Net worth is stated as at a particular year in time...
of the WMLP is $74,701,176 as of July 2007. - The WMLP provides broadband services.
- In 2005, kWh sales were 235,275,937.
- The station transformerTransformerA transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
capacity is 78 Megawatts. - The WMLP's Peak Demand is 65.076 Megawatts.
- On August 2, 2006, the WMLP hit an all time electric consumption high of 65,076 kW around 4:00PM, as temperatures soared to 102°F.