HMLP schedules Community Meetings to seek public input on Hingham Electrical Infrastructure Reliability Project

October 7, 2021 by Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant 

The Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant (HMLP)
today announced the first in a series of planned Community Meetings that will offer residents a
briefing – and welcome their input – on the planned Hingham Electrical Infrastructure
Reliability Project. The first Community Meeting will be held on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

The proposed Hingham Electrical Infrastructure Reliability Project has two key elements:
(1) a new, backup 115-kilovolt transmission line that will ensure the reliability of electric service
to Hingham homes and businesses in the event of a disruption to the single transmission feed
that currently serves the Town, and (2) additional electricity capacity above and beyond what is
currently available from the existing line to help Hingham achieve its Climate Action Plan goals.
The primary focus of the October 18 th meeting will be the proposed new, enclosed
substation that would be constructed on an approximately 18,500 square-foot parcel located in
the northeastern corner of DPW’s Hingham Transfer Station off Hobart Road. HMLP selected
the transfer station site because of its close proximity to the existing Hobart Street Substation,
and because the transfer station site offers HMLP an opportunity to minimize visual and other
impacts to the surrounding community.

The Community Meetings are part of HMLP’s overall plan to submit Warrant Articles for
the 2022 Hingham Town Meeting. The Warrant Articles will ask for approval to borrow funds to
construct the project and for the right to use the Town’s transfer station site for the substation.
The overall project cost is estimated to range between $55 million and $60 million, depending
on variables to be narrowed later.

“We intend to be proactive in bringing this project before members of the Hingham
community,” HMLP General Manager Tom Morahan said. “This is an important and significant
project and we want our residential and business customers to fully understand HMLP’s plans
and be able to provide valuable community feedback before we go before Town Meeting next
Spring.”

Attendees can join the Community Meeting by entering the link from a computer,
smartphone, or tablet. No prior software download is required. Here is the link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85663516778?pwd=RnVZZGpMSmJHdVNUelc2czhnTklvdz09

Additional Community Meetings will be scheduled for to-be-determined dates in
November and December.

About HMLP
HMLP has been providing reliable electric services to the residents and businesses of
Hingham for more than 127 years. Our mission is to provide reliable electric service to the Town
of Hingham while keeping rates reasonable, service quality high and operations
environmentally sustainable, including a commitment to 100 percent carbon-free energy.