Hardwick Electric Department (HED) commissioners met June 16, reviewing the utility's finances and planning for coming upgrades. Commissioner Roger Prevot attended his final meeting; the board acknowledged his years of service.
Controller Renae DiGregorio presented an overview of fiscal year 2025 results. The budget anticipated a $9.06 million cost of service with $813,000 in net income, but actual costs reached $9.72 million, producing a $541,480 operating deficit. Higher power supply costs, soil testing, crew labor, vegetation clearing, and safety training drove the variance. Operating revenue exceeded budget by $193,711, and non-operating expenses came in 15% below projections. FEMA reimbursements were budgeted at $1.5 million but yielded only $583,445.
DiGregorio said she expects to present the final FY26 budget at the next board meeting.
General manager Johnstone reported that a formal review of two D&K Hydro contracts for a Wolcott dam survey and penstock repair is under way and should be on the July agenda. The penstock and generation house projects have been classified as "large" by FEMA, and final awards could come within months.
Nichols Pond and East Long Pond associations have reached out about the future of dams at those locations. The Hardwick Select Board has approved further study of potential Jackson Dam removal, including downstream hydrological modeling.
Johnstone said the state has requested three test pits at HED's road shop to follow up on PCB cleanup from the 1980s. He is working on a report identifying distribution grid deficiencies and said the system will need "significant investments" over the next 10 to 15 years, including a "pretty massive project" to rebuild the Hardwick substation, add regulators at Wolcott, and update poles and lines between the two substations.
Johnstone addressed the June 15 emergency outage caused by a failed regulator at the Hardwick substation. Green Mountain Power helped replace the regulator. The incident, he said, "shows the need to make the investment for a more reliable system." DiGregorio said HED will commit to a new outage alert platform within a month.
Originally reported by Hardwick Gazette.
Photo: Mr Dr3igeteilt via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
Log in as a subscriber to comment, or become a member.