Wellesley Light Board Cuts WeCare Clean-Energy Premium by Two-Thirds

Municipal Light Board · Meeting of July 29, 2026

Wellesley Municipal Light Board slashes its WeCare 100 percent clean-energy premium by roughly two-thirds and begins work on a commercial solar incentive program. The board voted 3-0 at its July 29 meeting to replace the existing 3.52-cents-per-kilowatt-hour WeCare surcharge with a two-part rate of 4 percent of base bill charges plus 0.5 cents per kilowatt hour, dropping the typical residential monthly premium from about $31 to $10.42 for the utility's 273 enrolled customers. Staff, identified only as Director Chris, explained the old rate assumed the municipal portfolio was 20 percent renewable; it is now 86 percent non-carbon-emitting, leaving only a 14 percent gap to cover.

The board also agreed to put a commercial solar incentive proposal on its August agenda after Chair Edward Hall reported that the Magus Club, a local nonprofit, asked the utility to expand its residential Go Solar rebate program, which has issued 22 rebates totaling $182,000 against a $250,000 cap since summer 2024, to cover a planned 35-kilowatt rooftop installation. A separate discussion on plug-in balcony solar panels ended with staff warning residents to hold off on purchases until pending state legislation establishes anti-islanding safety standards.

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Source: the Municipal Light Board meeting of July 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.