The Marblehead Municipal Light Department has been awarded $1,328,253 to fortify its 23-kilovolt sub-transmission lines that deliver power to Marblehead from National Grid’s Railyard substation in Salem. The grant, which is funded under the federal 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will facilitate the conversion of several wooden utility poles to steel poles and enable MMLD to underground key sections of vulnerable supply line.
MMLD General Manager Jon Blair said this work is critical.
“As a transmission-dependent utility, MMLD relies on twin supply lines to deliver power to Marblehead,” Blair said. “Fortifying this critical component of our electric system is a key priority to maintain reliability for our customers. Following completion of this project, Marblehead’s electric system will be more resilient against interference from weather, animals, and vegetation.”
MMLD’s project plan accounts for anticipated load growth by integrating prudent features that will enable cost-effective expansion of system capacity in the future, according to Blair.
The funding, under the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Grid,” grant opportunity program, is being administered by the Mass Clean Energy Center. Marblehead is one of seven Massachusetts consumer-owned municipal utilities to be selected for funding.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
