Public Power
Public power means hometown reliability, local decision making, and reinvestment in the community. Read on to learn how public power is shaping a brighter energy future for Massachusetts.
What is Public Power?
Local
Decisions are made close to home, by the people who know your community best.
Safe
We prioritize safety for our crews, our customers, and our grid every day.
Reliable
We deliver power you can count on, with quick response when it matters most.
Sustainable
We support energy efficiency and smart solutions for a healthier future.
Affordable
Public Power keeps costs down and savings in the community.
Quality
Customers come first with personal, responsive, and dependable service.
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Find My Utility
There are 40 recognized public power utilities in Massachusetts. Find yours on the map and check out your utility’s website to learn more about them!
Public Power History in Massachusetts
More than a century ago, communities across Massachusetts began asking a simple question:
Who should control the power that lights our streets and fuels our homes- the people or private companies?
Early Beginnings
1800-1899
In the 1800s, residents grew frustrated with the high costs and poor service that came from private utility companies. A landmark 1891 Massachusetts law, the first of its kind, gave cities and towns the right to form their own electric utilities. Citizens voted at Town Meetings to take control of their electric systems, and the law sparked a national public power movement that now serves over 2,000 communities.
Building Community-Owned Utilities
1900s - 1930s
By 1900, dozens of towns had launched customer-owned utilities, often powering just street lamps and a few homes at night. Communities built dams, powerhouses, and transmission lines with limited resources and plenty of trial and error.
By the 1920s and 1930s, MLPs were expanding rapidly. They began stringing miles of lines, installing substations, and bringing electric conveniences like cooking, refrigeration, and water heating to homes and businesses. Through the Great Depression, towns debated whether to sell their utilities, but time and again, citizens voted to keep them public, valuing affordability and local control.
Innovation and Resilience
1940s - 1950s
Public power utilities in Massachusetts not only kept rates low but also pioneered innovations. They were quick to underground wires in town centers, adopt modern street lighting, and later, launch broadband and fiber networks. Municipal utilities stood strong through wars, hurricanes, and energy crises, often restoring power faster than larger private companies. When investor-owned utilities raised wholesale rates, MLPs pushed back, sometimes even taking them to court, to protect customers.
The Clean Energy Transition
1960s - 2000s
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Massachusetts MLPs became leaders in renewable energy and efficiency. From investing in wind projects like Berkshire Wind, to building solar farms on capped landfills, to launching rebate programs for heat pumps and electric vehicles, MLPs demonstrated the flexibility and forward-thinking of locally owned utilities. Many now provide fiber broadband as well as electricity, furthering their role as essential community institutions.
A Tradition That Endures
2010s - Present
Today, 40 municipal light plants serve nearly 1 million residents and businesses across Massachusetts. They remain not-for-profit, locally governed, and deeply embedded in their communities. What began as a fight for fair, reliable electricity in the 1890s has grown into a proud tradition of public power—neighbors working together to deliver affordable energy, invest in sustainability, and keep decision-making close to home.
Public power in Massachusetts is more than history. It is a living example of community ownership, innovation, and resilience that continues to shape our energy future.
