Town sees advantages in managing their own power
Published : Tuesday, 01 Nov 2011
(FOX25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A lot of local communities are no longer relying on the big power companies and are going independent to get their electricity.
While thousands of Massachusetts residents continue without power, in Mansfield - a town that provides their own municipal electric company - only 100 residents lost power and it was restored within 36 hours.
Town manager Bill Ross says the system they have in place to provide power makes the difference. “Our people know the system. They've built it. They know it well and they know the places there might be problems” says Ross.
Ross is the Town Manager and also manages Mansfield’s electric department. He sees clear advantages for a town that controls it's electric power.
He credits a knowledge of the system, an aggressive approach to trimming trees throughout the year and communicating with city officials in one room.