 TODAY, tomorrow and Thursday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) anticipates a peak in demand for electricity. WMLP customers are asked to voluntarily cut back energy usage during this time. It does not mean there is a shortage of electricity. Reducing electricity demand during this period will help to reduce both energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Customers can reduce electric use by waiting to charge Electric Vehicles, turning up your AC thermostat a few degrees, and postponing use of dehumidifiers, pool filters, clothes dryers and any other unnecessary appliances. By 7 p.m. the peak will pass and customers can go back to their normal use. Learn more here. Tips from Boston Globe to keep cool are here.
 It’s that time of year again! Time for beach outings, barbecue gatherings, and boat excursions as well as a critical time to be aware of our electricity use and its impact on our electric rates and the environment. During the hottest days of the summer months, as we crank up our ACs, our system-wide use of electricity reaches the highest, ‘peak’ levels for the year. To meet the extreme electric demand, the grid operator—ISO-New England—turns to “peaker plants,” the power generators of last resort. These power plants are generally the dirtiest and most expensive, running on gas and oil and selling their power at extremely high rates. Peaker plants are only necessary for the highest demand hours, about 2 – 7% of the year in full. In the graph below, you can see how the grid ramps up power from oil and gas peaker plants as electric demand grows. As demand grows, price skyrockets. At last summer’s price peak on June 30, wholesale electric prices per MWh were over ten times the average for the year. Peak hours have such a big impact on our electricity costs, that thirty percent of our electric bill is directly related to the amount of electricity Wellesley uses for just one hour during the entire year. That one hour is called the peak demand hour. Peak electricity is expensive and dirty—but you can help. Sustainable Wellesley and the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) encourage you to join the campaign to “shave the peak” this summer. The WMLP can usually predict when peak events will occur a day in advance, so you can plan to reduce demand during the hours of highest electric use. Sign up for Shave the Peak alerts and receive notifications through email (send an email to [email protected] with the subject and body blank), or follow them on Twitter, @MLPWellesley, to know when an electric demand peak is anticipated. Then it’s as easy as turning up your AC thermostat a few degrees or delaying usage of electrical appliances such as car chargers, dehumidifiers, pool filters, or clothes dryers until after the peak. This minimal commitment offers you an opportunity to practice mindfulness not only for yourself but the environment too. Help us meet our goal of reducing peak demand below our historic level! You can also track our campaign to reduce our peak on the WMLP website: Shave-the-Peak. After each peak event you can see how we did compared to our goal. Get your friends and family to join our campaign, and watch our peak shrink as your savings grow and Earth benefits.
 Reduce your Energy Use/Cost...Without Compromising Comfort!
Below are some tips on what you can do: Get an Assist from Mother Nature
Reduce Heat and Humidity Sources in the House on Hot Days
Improve Air Conditioner Management
Unlock $ With Sustainable Energy Investments • Replace out-dated air conditioners with air source heat pumps • Install a full-house attic fan and use cool evening air instead of air conditioning • Install a lighter colored roof and paint the house a lighter color that will reflect rather than absorb the warmth of the sun’s rays • Plant deciduous shade trees to block summer sun and provide cooling • Install awnings, shutters or trellises on the sunny side of the house • Better insulate the attic  Help support our important insect populations while attracting
beautiful butterflies and birds to your yard. Sustainable Wellesley is excited to partner with Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first plant conservation organization, to offer residents carefully-chosen plant collections. Don’t miss this opportunity to conveniently obtain these premiere seed-grown species at a 15% discount! >> Planting pollinators is the perfect Father's Day activity! << Sale Details Order plants now through May 22 (or until kits sell out). Limit of one kit per household. Prices are listed below. Plant Kits This year we are offering two collections: Summer Kit - more info here Three pollinator powerhouse plants that will bloom Spring through Fall. $106 +tax Fall Kit (Pre-order) - more info here A combination of three asters whose blooms will nourish pollinators in the late season. $95 +tax Each Plant Kit includes 3 plants from each of the three species* - enough plants for an approximately 10 square-foot garden. Planting instructions, design suggestions, and plant care advice will be provided. Plant a 3x3 corner, a 5x2, or 9x1 border, or add plants to your established garden. Nine plants too much? Share with a neighbor and expand the pollinator corridor! *Native Plant Trust may substitute similar plant varieties at their discretion based on growing conditions and plant availability. Pick-Up Summer Kits will be available for pick-up on Saturday June 18 in Wellesley between 3-5 pm. You will receive an email or call with additional information about pick-up. Kits must be picked up on this day. If you cannot pick up on June 18th, please arrange for another person to pick up on your behalf. Kits that are not collected will be donated to the Town. Fall Kits will be available for pick-up in September 2022. We'll contact you in August with more info. Help pollinate Wellesley and be(e) a part of Wellesley's Pollinator Corridor! 10% of proceeds will go towards establishing and sustaining pollinator gardens throughout the Town of Wellesley! |
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