Light Department to Extend Fiber Optic Network Closer to Elementary Schools

A side benefit to the is that it will help fund an extension of the town's fiber optic system to the outskirts of town. The extension will allow the elementary schools to be connected to the rest of the town's system, giving students and teachers speedier access to the web.

The elementary schools, which currently use the Comcast network, will be tied into the town's fiber optic network, said Kathy Comeau, the school system's technology director.

“It is a good thing,” she said.

The town's system, which is concentrated in the center of Marblehead, links , the and departments, the Mary Alley building where many of the town departments are located, and several schools, including , and the .

Extending the fiber optic system would be a joint project between the light department and the schools. Plans for the extension to the outskirts of town are still in the preliminary stages and the has not yet authorized the expenditure to connect the schools to the extended system, Comeau said.

General Manager Robert Jolly informed light department board members about the opportunity last week. The fiber optic cable will already be needed by the EnergySense program to relay data to the department's headquarters. The meters will use wireless technology to send data a relatively short distance, where it will be collected and forwarded to a main computer for the light department.

The extension of the fiber optic network will cost between $50,000 and $100,000, Jolly said. Half of that cost will be funded as part of a $1.3 million matching U.S. Department of Energy grant.

The EnergySense pilot program will be among the first of its kind in the region that reflects the actual cost of electricity delivery on critical peak days and offers customers price incentives to reduce household energy usage during specific peak periods.

The light department is seeking 500 households to participate in a test this summer that is designed to reduce electricity usage during critical peak periods. As of last week, about 350 households had signed up for the pilot program, Jolly said.

If interested in signing up for the program, look for a flyer in the mail from the light department, which qualifies your household to participate in a random selection process.

Jolly views the EnergySense pilot program as a way for Marblehead customers to conserve energy and opt into lower-rate electric plans. “We are excited about the possibilities this program brings to MMLD customers as we work with the DOE to explore the potential of advanced smart metering to reduce our peak energy load and reduce energy costs for our customers,” he said recently.

The department will begin installing the smart meters this spring.