Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD), founded in 1894, is a not-for-profit municipal electric utility serving four communities north of Boston: Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, and Lynnfield Center. It is the largest of Massachusetts' 40 municipal light departments by electric load, supplying electricity to more than 70,000 customers through over 31,000 meter connections. As a locally owned public utility, RMLD is committed to keeping rates significantly lower than those of investor-owned utilities in the state.
RMLD's technical work spans grid modernization, energy storage, renewable energy integration, and energy efficiency. The utility operates a 10 MW energy storage system and offers programs designed to expand non-carbon energy use. Its Renewable Choice program enables customers to source 75% or 100% non-carbon electricity, while solar rebates and demand response initiatives support distributed generation and load management.
With over 130 years of continuous operation, RMLD provides an operating environment focused on public power and local accountability. The utility's stated direction toward increasingly non-carbon energy production shapes its technical priorities and investment decisions across its service territory.
