HomeMy WebLinkAboutLight Comm. 01/27/2025Mansfield Municipal Electric Department
Minutes of Light Commissioners Meeting
January 27,2025
Present: Chairman Brendan Roche, Clerk Maureen Doherty, Commissioner Michael Trowbridge, Commissioner Walter
Wilk, General Manager Joe Sollecito.
1) Open Meeting — Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was held at the Mansfield Town Hall
Room 2AB and called to order at 6:03 PM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
2) Review and consideration to approve Board Minutes
a) October 21, 2024 meeting
b) November 20, 2024 meeting
Motion to approve Board Minutes. (Trowbridge/Willi) Passes 4/0.
3) General Manager's Report
a) Review December 2024 Financials
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• Net income is at $1.26 million.
• Generation Charge Accounts Payable is $2.6 million.
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• Cash position is $12.2 million. C� c� NJ rrrt c-)
• Energy sales are up 6.7% for the month an dup 3% year to date. The industrial b�e.i"upi,-/.8°lne
residential and commercial are flat. rn r D cm
• The Depreciation Fund is $5.3 million. —r d n =1
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b) Update on Regulatory challenges to Public Power w n
Some regulatory agencies within the Commonwealth have created initiatives that they are trying to force I�funicipal Light
Plants to adopt even though no such legal authority exists. These regulatory agencies do not recognize that MLP's are
separate entities, under MGL 164 as compared to `Distribution Companies' which are the investor owned utilities. These
initiatives and the problems created for MLP's are as follows:
• Large Building Reporting: Requiring the reporting of energy use for buildings over 20,000 square feet (orig.
believed to>200K). This would create privacy issues, and there is no regulatory authority for such action.
• Clean Heat Standard: Mandate to move towards all homes being electrified. Up to $10K would be provided to
homeowners to convert to heat pumps, more for other conversions as well. This would cost MMED $64 million
over 25 years. In addition, MMED does not have the capacity to provide that much electricity. If quotas are not
met, the MLP will be required to pay an alternative compliance payment to the state.
• Advanced Clean Trucks regulation: Commonwealth of Massachusetts has adopted to follow the California
regulatory standards. This regulation requires manufacturers to sell increasing percentage of electric heavy-duty
trucks. Police and fire vehicles are exempt from having to adopt electric vehicles, but utilities and DPW vehicles
are not exempt, according to the California Standards. These vehicles are not efficient in the cold and would
significantly hinder our electric operations.
• Building Decarbonization Clearinghouse: This would require MLP's to offer MassSave level rebates. If
implemented, this would cost MMED over $24 million annually in additional expenses.
• Clean Energy Bill: Permitting and siting reform for renewable energy projects.
In a letter from MEAM to Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony of the Department of Energy Resources, General Manager
Sollecito, in his role as MEAM President, states that in the DOER's own wording MLP's are not included in these
regulations unless explicitly stated.
Commissioner Trowbridge asked if MEAM had reached out to the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) for help
in this matter, or to our legislators. Manager Sollecito stated they had. Commissioner Wilk agreed that MMED needed to
get a strong group such as MMA working with the MLP's to get this sorted out. Manager Sollecito stated that MEAM has
consciously decided to not aggressively act as of yet as they are still trying to work cooperatively with the DOER. He did
state that if these regulations are allowed to go through, s, then there will be little to no difference between MLPs and
IOUs. Currently, Mansfield customers with a bill of $150 would be equivalent to $350 for Eversource and National Grid
customers.
4) Citizens Questions & Comments —None
5) Commissioners Questions & Comments
Chairman Roche inquired about the offshore wind project. Manager Sollecito stated that it was still on hold. As such,
there is no official price yet and no licensing.
6) Any items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting— None
7) Vote to enter into Executive Session for the following reasons and NOT return to open session
a) Review and consideration to approve minutes of October 21, 2024 Executive Session where Exemptions 3 &
10 were declared
b) Pursuant to M.G.L. Ch. 164, Section 47D and M.G.L. Ch. 30, Section 21, Exemption 3, to discuss strategy with
respect to collective bargaining (IBEW Local 104 Financial Assistants and Professional units and AFSCM Local
1702) if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the
chair so declares.
c) Pursuant to M.G.L. Ch. 164, Section 47D and M.G.L. Ch. 30, Section 21, Exemption 6, to consider the purchase,
exchange, lease or value of real property if the chair declares that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect
on the negotiating position of the public body.
Motion (Doherty/Trowbridge) Roll Call Vote: Trowbridge -Yes, Wilk -Yes, Doherty -Yes, Roche -Yes.
Entered into Executive Session at 6:40 PM.
Respectfully submitted: Katherine Duggan
Signature of Cler c-'�
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Date of Approval