About WMGLD & Our History
WMGLD Mission and Vision Statement
MISSION The Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department (WMGLD) and its employees provide our customers with safe, reliable, competitively priced, and environmentally responsible energy resources and services that enhance quality of life, while adjusting to the ever-changing energy marketplace.
VISION Beyond our Mission, WMGLD is committed to being a trusted partner for our customers and the greater community in promoting the use of electric power and other energy resources to achieve an affordable, cleaner, and more sustainable energy future.
VALUES WMGLD will accomplish its mission and maintain its vision by focusing on our core values, which are:
- The safety of our employees and the community we serve
- Fiscally effective management of our resources to control costs and ensure the highest levels of service, quality, and resilience
- Dedication to courtesy and excellence in our customers’ experience
- Responsible leadership as stewards of the environment
- Collaboration and fairness in all interactions with stakeholders
The Beginning
The citizens of Wakefield, Massachusetts voted at Town Meeting in 1893 to purchase the plant, land, and manufacturing equipment of the Citizens’ Gas & Light Company, a private company which generated electric power from its North Avenue plant. Poor quality of service and profitability were cited as the reasons for the Town Meeting decision. At the time of the vote, a $180,000 bond was approved for the purchase, and a three-member Municipal Light Board was created to oversee the operation of this municipal department.
Approval from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was granted shortly after the vote which paved the way for the company to operate its own gas and electric company. The initial cost to the town was approximately $20,000 for necessary repairs and improvements to the outside equipment to improve electrical service to the townspeople who were now the owners of the light company.
The Early Days
In the early days, the municipal gas and light department did not generate electric current during the daylight hours. Only in the case of an emergency would power be generated during the day. The greatest amount of electricity was consumed during the winter months with its short days and long nights. The Town of Wakefield was one of only a few suburban communities to burn its street lights through the night. Most communities extinguished its street lights at midnight or 1a.m.
The New Substation
A new substation was built on Wakefield Avenue in 1923 with 13,000 volts of power for the new station. The company also installed an underground duct line from its high tension station for this purpose. This new substation was built at the right time: the light department experienced an increase of 446 customers in 1923, bringing the total number of meters in use to 2,800.
The War Years
Steady growth was also taking place during the War years (1941-1945). Defense plants were operating throughout the town, with many basements operating as subcontractors, drawing from the available power. In 1943, the light department physically expanded its operations with the purchase of 9-11 Albion Street office building, home of the business office. The Town received permission from Town Meeting in 1951 to erect a new building on its North Avenue site to replace the original structure.
The 70’s
The Beebe substation, on Farm Street at the Saugus town line, was built in 1973, signaling a new era for the MLD. At that time, the department changed its electric power supplier from Boston Edison to New England Power, allowing the MLD to become more independent when making power purchases. This change allowed the department to use power from a transmission line, enabling them to purchase power from other sources, something they could not do before. The MLD changed from a total requirements customer to one which could control its own destiny.
The 80’s
The 1980’s were years of increasing load demand for the department, particularly in the areas where new homes and businesses were being developed. The boom subsided somewhat in the late 1980’s and by 1990, the department had ample natural gas and electric supplies for the 10,660 residential and commercial customers serviced by the MLD at that time.
The Future
As for the future, the WMGLD has installed fiber optic cable in the community to provide state-of-the art communication between municipal buildings. This major project will enable the WMGLD to continue to offer state-of-the-art services through progress.
Hours of Operation
Monday – Wednesday 7:30 – 4:30
Thursday 7:30 – 6:00
Friday 7:30 – 1:00
Holidays
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Day
President’s Day
Patriot’s Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
4th of July
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve (half day)
Christmas Day