Local officials in Berlin Borough call the quiet town’s situation unique.
“It’s very rare for municipalities to have their own power company, which we have here,” says council president Brett Custer.
This rarity is giving them an opportunity to cut down on transmission costs, which is the cost it takes to get the power from the provider to the borough. If the idea is passed by council, Custer says he and other officials plan to use land around the borough to build several large diesel generators.
“What it does, is it allows us to run the generators during the peak times and that will save us between $200,000 and $300,000 in transmission costs each year.”
Those peak hours would only add up to about six hours per year. Over the course of 10 years, the borough believes it will save $3 million dollars.
According to project leaders, the business community is already on board.
“The businesses I have spoke to said that they checked into backup power for their business and it’s just an astronomical price for them to put their own back up in,” says electric committee chairman Eric Glotfelty. “The businesses are on board with this because if we don’t have power, they don’t have business.”
Some of the residents are still hesitant about the $2.4 million project. Even officials admit they have concerns, but say because previous administrations spent money well, they know they have the funds for this project.
They say the idea was brought up because since 2007 the small town has paid $2 million in transmission fees, but if passed that fee will be eliminated, according to Custer.
“By building our infrastructure now will allow us to integrate solar and other newer technologies that will be coming down the pipeline in the near future.”
Officials are currently in the process of sending out information packets to all of their electric customers. Those customers will also receive a postcard in the mail asking you if you are for or against this project, which is due by the end of March. Council will consider the public opinion and then vote on the project at their next meeting in April.