PMLP History Page 4

Milestones:

1888

• September 15: Peabody selectmen grant petition to Salem Electric Light Company for installation of street lights along Main Street
• September 25: First street lights installed on Main Street
• October 27: Selectmen sign electric service contract with Salem Electric Company

1889

• September: Based on citizen complaints, Selectmen request and receive petitions from competing electric service providers

1890

• August 7: Electric Study Committee presents their report to the Town Meeting. Selectmen vote to form a municipal electric plant
• October: investor owned utility company filed suit to prevent the Town of Peabody from operating an lectric business
• October 17: Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes remanded the case to the full bench of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

1891

• January 12: Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that municipalities do not have the authority to operate an electric business
• April 14: Citizens of Peabody and representatives of other communities file legislation that would enable cities and towns to operate an electric business
• June 4: Massachusetts enacts a new statue enabling all cities and towns to operate an electric business
• June 18: Citizens of Peabody vote to establish their own municipal electric plant

1892

• June 27: Two steam generators were set in place
• September 27: Peabody streets were lighted for the first time by the Town's own Municipal Light Plant

1894

• First house in Peabody is connected to electrical service at 82 Franklin Street

1902

• First Municipal Light Board established to relieve the selectmen of responsibility for electric service
• Municipal Light Board institutes the first "prompt payment" discount for all electric bills

1906

• Town Meeting appointed special committee to determine the future course of the Municipal Light Plant
• Generating facilities were enlarged by the addition of two steam engines

1907

• Municipal Light Board institutes lamp sale with free replacements to encourage electricity use

1910

• Generating facilities improved by addition of a switchboard and new boilers

1912

• Light Plant purchases its first truck to replace horses and wagons

1913

• June1: Light Plant began street lighting service in Lynnfield
• August 8: Destructive fire broke out in the generating plant

1914

• June 25: City of Salem was hit by the worst fire in its history and PMLP supplied electricity to Salem residents

1916

• Generating facilities expand with the addition of another steam turbine

1925

• May 27: Lineman George A. Pierce was electrocuted on Tremont Street

1931

• Steam engine explodes injuring employee Ali Newton

1935

• August 12: Lineman John Cotton Sr. had fatal fall from a utility pole on Endicott Street

1948

• First diesel generating units begins operation on Warren Street Extension
• Warren Street Substation was constructed

1951

• November 6: Referendum resulted in the Lighting Commission regaining status as an elected body

1952

• January: Mayor appointed new Lighting Commissioners to oversee the Light Plant operation until next municipal election

1954

• January 4: Elected Municipal Lighting Commissioners were sworn into office
• South Peabody Substation was placed into operation providing the first remote, source of electricity
• Light Plant business office and garage opens at renovated 70 Endicott Street building allowing employees to relocate from offices in City Hall.

1957

• North Shore Shopping Center was constructed becomming single largest electrical load

1958

• January 19: Electric Switchboard Operator Ebenezer B. King hanged himself at 70 Endicott Street
• May 22: Lineman Haskell G. Simmons was electrocuted while working on Crowinshield Street

1960

• September 9: Lineman John F. Cotton Jr. was electrocuted while working at the corner of Wallis and Walnut Streets

1961

• Johnson Street Substation installed to serve the needs of West Peabody customers

1962

• South Lynnfield Substation installed to serve the needs of customers in Lynnfield

1963

• Lighting Commission offered scholarships enticing electrical engineering students to seek employment at the Light Plant

1964

• November 6: Massachusetts Supreme Court awards fiscal autonomy to the Light Plant

1965

• November 9: Northeast Blackout occurred leaving entire northeastern section of the United States (except Peabody) without electricity

1966

• Russell Street Substation installed to supply increasing load in West Peabody

1967

• Industrial Park Substation installed to serve centralized industrial development area

1969

• Waters River substation installed at a site off of Pulaski Street

1971

• First gas turbine generator was installed adjacent to Waters River off of Pulaski Street
• Frog Island Substation installed to unburden circuits in the downtown area
• Bow Street Substation installed to address development in West Peabody

1973

• October 15: Oil producing nations consort to create a fuel crisis

1975

• PMLP decides to undertake massive project changing its distribution voltage by upgrading from 4,000 volt system to 23,000 volt system
• Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) is created by state statue

1979

• PMLP becomes first municipal light plant in New England to own interconnecting taps into New England-wide interstate transmission grid
• PMLP purchases all 23KV sub-transmission lines and easements within Peabody and Lynnfield
• Salem Witch imposes evil curse on Lighting Commission over acquisition of ownership interest in Seabrook Nuclear Plant

1989

• August 19: PMLP consolidates into new office/garage complex at 201 Warren Street Extension
• Gas turbine generator is converted to burn natural gas in addition to oil
• PMLP becomes first electric utility in the nation to install direct tap from high pressure interstate natural gas pipeline into electric generating unit

1990

• PMLP becomes the most reliable electric distribution system in the Northeastern United States as construction of Bartholomew Street substation secures the fourth and fifth ties to the interstate transmission grid

1991

• June 14: Citizens initiate PMLP's centennial anniversary celebration by opening the 1891 time capsule
• Contents of 1891 time capsule were replaced and 1991 time capsule was created
• June 22: Citizens celebrated centennial anniversary of not-for-profit consumer owned electric service
• Second gas turbine generator was installed adjacent to Waters River off Pulaski Street

1992

• All four diesel generating units were shut down, dismantled, and sold

1994

• October 24: Electrician Louis Rodrigues was electrocuted while working at the Frog Island Substation

1996

• September 26: Lighting Commission established a Power Supply Trust Fund to address possible "stranded investment" in generation and assure continued low rates

1997

• July 3: South Peabody was disconnected and removed

1998

• September 25: Russell Street substation was disconnected
• March 1: New Massachusetts State Law, deregulating electric generation, became effective

1999

• October 25: South Lynnfield substation was disconnected

2000

• March 31: Industrial Park substation was disconnected
• April 27: New Massachusetts State Law, enabling municipal light plants to provide telecommunication services, became effective
• Industrial Park and South Lynnfield substations were both removed by the end of the year
• Light Plant engineers estimate completion of distribution system upgrade by end of 2002

2001

• August 10: Warren Street 4KV substation was disconnected

2002

• Warren Street 4KV substation was removed

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