Abstract

The Marblehead Municipal Light Department (MMLD) project involves the town-wide installation of a fully integrated advanced metering system and a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of time-based rate programs and automated load management. It is aimed at reducing peak electricity demand, overall energy use, and operations and maintenance costs while increasing distribution system efficiency, reliability, and power quality. The project implements two-way communication to: (1) allow customers to view their energy consumption at their convenience through an energy Web portal, and (2) allow MMLD to manage, measure, and verify targeted demand reductions during peak periods. The project also includes a study of consumer behavior in response to a critical peak pricing service option.