PMLD’s Current Energy Portfolio and Strategy

PMLD purchases portions of its energy requirements at New England -ISO, real-time and day-ahead market rates through our membership in the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC). MMWEC manages the purchase of this energy on our behalf with our guidance in mind. PMLD continues to review future long term energy contracts that benefit our ratepayers and help stabilize our electricity rates.

PMLD is participating in the development of MMWEC's Stony Brook III natural gas power plant project. PMLD committed to purchasing energy from this proposed, natural gas fueled power plant located in Ludlow MA. PMLD believes this future power plant will help diversify our energy portfolio. This plant is expected to be operational sometime in the near future once it makes sense financially to proceed.

Generating and purchasing renewable energy makes a difference in our community. In FY2010, PMLD purchased approximately 11% of its energy from various hydroelectric power plants throughout the region. This renewable energy is purchased at very favorable costs compared to market and contract power costs. PMLD expects its new wind farm, made fully operational in January 2010, to provide approximately 40% of the town's annual energy requirements in a renewable manner. So far the wind turbines produced 36% of our energy requirements in 2010.

The charts below shows Princeton's monthly total energy consumption (KWH) and the percentage supplied from each source (wind, hydro and market purchased power).