Positive Energy
For Our Town
Positive Energy
For Our Town
About Adam
Since being appointed by the Select Board and Light Commission to be a Commissioner after my predecessor retired last year, I’ve learned a lot by doing my homework and talking with residents, fellow commissioners, and employees of the Marblehead Municipal Light Department (MMLD). I’m seeking re-election to serve the last year of my predecessor’s term.
What I’ve learned over the past year is that we have a responsibility to make sure MMLD is prepared to meet the enormous energy challenges of the future – by providing clean and reliable electricity at fair and competitive rates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Unlike other communities served by big, investor-owned utilities,Marblehead is one of only 41 cities and towns to have its own municipally-owned and operated light department. MMLD has proudly served our town since 1894 and is now a $20 million operation despite having fewer than 20 employees. Its linemen and engineering teams care for every telephone pole, electricity wire, transformer, and substation in town and have a reputation for excellence and reliability. My goal is to make sure they can continue to do this good work in a rapidly changing energy market.
Marblehead’s power consumption is .01% or 1/1000 of the New England power grid. Currently, the feeder lines that bring power into our town are located on the Lead Mills property on the Marblehead/Salem line. In 2018, as a result of several Nor’Easters and a “bomb cyclone”, the protective casing around these lines was damaged and had to be reinforced. In addition to the vulnerability this presents, some of our electricity infrastructure is dated. As the move to electric transportation and home heating and cooling accelerates, we need to be ready and have a plan.
Today’s electricity grid runs largely on software, which introduces new technology challenges and cybersecurity risks. Our new $4 million switchgear, which delivers electricity to different parts of town, runs on Microsoft Windows! I know something about software and innovation through my work as a tech executive with Google and now with Jasper AI. I bring a unique perspective that can help make sure we get the job done and keep our town safe.
Things to know about me
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Old Town resident with my family of 5
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3 daughters in 3 different schools in town
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Gas House beach regular
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Fort Beach Wolfpack cold plunger
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20 year career in technology & innovation
My Priority Issues
Keeping rates low by...
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Voting to buy more non-carbon emitting nuclear power from the Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant to minimize exposure to fossil fuels and their associated price fluctuations and health risks.
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Continuing to look for all opportunities to get ahead of the unfunded state mandates to have 50% of our electricity be from non-carbon sources by 2030 in 6 and 1/2 years. We will need to look ahead to avoid costly penalties to ratepayers for non-compliance starting in 2030.
Keeping the lights on by…
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Voting to replace a 65-year-old town transformer and switch gear for $8M, due to be completed in 2025.
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Advising on software and network upgrades to the 10,000 smart meters in town to ensure accurate meter readings and faster outage response times.
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Planning for a brighter future by…
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Contributing to the MMLD Load Forecast Report to better understand the future infrastructure upgrades required to support growing electricity usage. The report showed that our electricity needs will continue to grow by at least 2% a year.
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Advocating for solar on the Brown School roof, MMLD’s first capital solar project.
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More solar on town roofs lowers costs for all customers by lowering costly distribution and transmission costs we pay to bring electricity to Marblehead.
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