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Belmont Municipal Light Department

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Be an Energy Star and Save Money Buying Big Ticket Appliances

Municipal Light Department's appliance rebate program.

With the recent span of hot weather, residents may find themselves thinking this is a good time to replace the old air conditioner. And when considering that purchase, residents should also realize they can save money on their electric bill. Belmont Municipal Light Department customers can get a credit on their electric bill by purchasing qualified ENERGY STAR® appliance. ENERGY STAR® is a label on appliances that identifies energy-efficient products which meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, saving both energy and money without sacrificing performance – one solution to energy supply and cost concerns. Buy selecting ENERGY STAR® appliances assists the …

In this Article:

Belmont Municipal Light Department

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Light Department Ask Customers to Curtail Power Usage

"Very high demand" could lead to extended electrical outages.

The Belmont Municipal Light Department is currently experiencing very high power demand and is asking their customers to turn-off non-critical electric equipment to minimize possible extended power outages. If you have further questions, please contact the BMLD at 617-993-2800 or visit www.belmont-ma.gov/electric for summer energy conservation tips.

In this Article:

Belmont Municipal Light Department

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Belmont Municipal Light Issues Heat Advisory

BMLD includes summer energy conservation tips

With unusually high temperatures and humidity predicted through Friday, June 22, the Belmont Municipal Light Department is asking their customers to help reduce Belmont’s electrical load during peak times by reducing or rescheduling their use of electricity whenever possible. Below are some summer energy conservation tips to help reduce Belmont’s electrical load: • Run appliances such as washing machines, dryers, ovens, and dishwashers in the early morning or late at night. • Turn off lights, appliances, and electronics that are not in use. • Keep cool with fans, air conditioning, and cool showers. You can make your own air conditioner by placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan and letting it blow on you. • Replace or clean clogged air …

In this Article:

Belmont Municipal Light Department

Thursday, May 31, 2012

UPDATE: 200 Customers Remain in the Dark after Transformer Fire at DPW Yard

Falling transformers start fire to building at Department of Public Works; outages reported in Belmont neighborhoods.

3:15 p.m.: Only 200 customers remain in the dark as the result of a transformer explosion and fire in the Department of Public Works Yard on C Street at 12:45 p.m. this afternoon, May 31, that orginally cut power to 1,500 households and businesses, according to a spokeswoman for the Belmont Municipal Light Department. BMLD's Jennifer Santoro said that power will be restored to all customers by 4 p.m. this afternoon. According to Santoro, the incident that hit 15 percent of BMLD customers occurred when a DPW dump truck driving through the department's yard caught a line of low-hanging electrical wires. As the truck traveled into the yard, the wires bent and finally broke a utility pole with three transformers on it, she said. Angus Davison…

Monday, February 27, 2012

Windy Serve: PQ Court Fence Toppled in Saturday's Blow

Branches, trees downed including one that halted service on the MBTA's 73 bus line.

Saturday's all-day wind storm with gusts up to 55 mph – as recorded at the town's wind meter at the Department of Public Works yard – caused just enough damage around town to keep town departments busy. The wind's ferocity was responsible for knocking down an entire side of the fence surrounding the newly renovated tennis courts at Pequosette Field behind the Veterans of Foreign Wars building off Trapelo Road, according to Michael A. Santoro, assistant director of Public Works. The damage was discovered by some of the morning Goosebusters, volunteers who take their dogs – a mix of Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, terriers, a Maltese and some mixed breeds – to the park to discourage Canada geese from populating the field, according to …

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Unanimous: Town Meeting Says Yes to Substation

Three years after rejection, Light Board, BMLD win approval for $53.7M project.

When the vote was called, the Special Town Meeting expressed its opinion on building a proposed $53.7 million electrical substation with overwhelming silence. The absence of comment when Town Moderator Mike Widmer asked if anyone opposed the article allowing the bonding authority to build the largest infrastructure project in Belmont's history stunned many of the substation supporters who looked around to the representatives in the Chenery Middle School's auditorium as Town Meeting approved the measure unanimously.  The vote, which drew a round of applause by the representatives and congratulatory handshakes from members of the Belmont Municipal Light Department – the town's independent utility – and its Light Board Advisory Committee, …

In this Article:

A Preview of Tomorrow's Special Town Meeting, Keeping Town Meeting on Point, W. L. Chenery Middle School, and 1 more ›

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Light Board Adds Amendments to Substation Article

Final additions to Article 2 allows for talks with NSTAR, caps bonding authority to $53.7M.

The Belmont Light Board dotted the 'i's' and crossed the 't's' as it added wording to the measure going before Special Town Meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 8, that will authorize the sale of more than $50 million in municipal bonds to create a new electrical substation. The Light Board – made up of the three-member Board of Selectmen – approved Monday night, Feb. 6, an amendment to Article 2 to allow the Selectmen to negotiate with utility-giant NSTAR on its offer to continue working with the town's independent electric company as supplier to the current 13.8 kilovolt system. The design, construction and installation of an electrical substation will be determined by the Light Board "after due consideration of all options including but …

In this Article:

Light Board Seeks 3 Week Delay on Substation Vote, Board of Selectmen, Belmont Municipal Light Department, and 1 more ›

Waverly Watchdog

12:00 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

It's time the Belmont ratepayers were the primary concern, not the Selectmen's schemes to extract indirect PILOT payments from the non-profits in town, via the increased commercial electric rates and the increased Return on Plant that the substation wiould allow. Belmont is already paying over $2,000,000 per year more for electricity than NSTAR customers would be for the same usage. That will …   more ›

Friday, February 3, 2012

Last-Minute Surprise: NSTAR Enters Substation Debate

Financial watch dog gives OK to bond $53.7M, asks selectmen to negotiate with utility giant.

The last-minute insertion by energy giant NSTAR into the four-year debate on building a new electric substation has thrown a curve into the vote before the reconvened Special Town Meeting on Wednesday on the town’s largest capital project in decades. Representatives at the meeting Feb. 8 will not only be voting to approve a $53.7 million bond authorization to purchase land on Flanders Road and build the electrical substation, but will now allow the Belmont Board of Selectmen to negotiate with the electrical and natural gas utility monopoly on the continued use of the current electrical standard, the 13.8 kilovolt system. “It is a surprise that they came forward" with an offer, said Ralph Jones, chairman of the Light Board and Board of …

In this Article:

Board of Selectmen

Waverly Watchdog

12:08 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Or, it might be way to save the ratepayers of Belmont some money. But saving Other Peoples' Money is not Mr. Bowe's thing. "But we should be very careful how we proceed in negotiations" with the company, said Brown, who worked in utility regulations. We should also be very careful of what Brown says. I would very much like to hear him explain why the BMLD is, and has been, exceeding the State …   more ›

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sunday Blackout on Chester

Second overhanging cable failure in the past two weeks.

The power outage that effected Chester Road and an area near the Chenery Middle School Sunday was due to a failure of overhead cables, according to the Belmont Municipal Light Department. Jennifer Santoro, spokeswoman of the Department, said the power went out at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 29, in the Chester Road/Hurd Road area, impacting approximately 175 customers. The outage lasted for about 50 minutes until repair crews located the faulty cable.  The accompanying map indicates calls to Belmont Police reporting the power outage. Sunday was the second time an overhead cable failure caused neighborhoods to lose power, the first incident was on Jan. 15. The failure of an underground cable resulted in a blackout on Dec. 18.

In this Article:

Belmont Municipal Light Department

Waverly Watchdog

1:17 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Matt, Over the last 20 odd years, the BMLD has been diverting money (>$12,000,000) to the Town via the PILOT. Had that money been spent on maintaining and improving the BMLD infrastructure... putting deistribution cables underground, for example... the failure would not have happened. Furthermore, you do not know that NSTAR would have taken longer to respond. Your assertion is an Urban Myth. Just…   more ›

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Warrant(ing) a Bit More Information on Substation

Know the cost – $51M – and how to finance it but alternatives to substation behind doors.

Officials and the public received a bit more information on the proposed $60 million maximum bond authorization for the construction of a new electrical substation when the Municipal Light Department Advisory Board met Wednesday, Jan. 26, at Chenery Middle School with the Warrant Committee to answer questions submitted by the group earlier in the week. But despite providing the public the total cost of the project – now pegged at $51 million – and an explanation by Town Treasurer Floyd Carman on how the substation, land purchase and infrastructure upgrade will be financed, some of the Warrant Committee answers were revealed behind closed doors in executive session as the Board and Committee decided – not unanimously – to discuss specific …

In this Article:

A Preview of Tomorrow's Special Town Meeting, Treasurer & Tax Collector, Belmont Municipal Light Department, and 3 more ›

Waverly Watchdog

1:53 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

"There's not gonna be a dime of town money in this project," said Carman. Technically true, but misleading. Town money comes largely from Taxpayers' pockets. So do electricity bills.... although it might be another pocket. No matter which Belmont resident's pocket these tens of millions cdome from... IT IS STILL ANOTHER BURDEN on Belmonts' residents.   more ›

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