Littleton Electric to Operate and Maintain Devens Electric System
The Littleton Electric Light and Water Departments has signed an eight-year contract to maintain and operate the electrical system at Devens, a 4,400-acre mixed-use community with about 850 electrical meters.
The LELWD won the competitive bid conducted by MassDevelopment, the state’s development finance agency and land bank. MassDevelopment will pay the LELWD about $1 million annually to operate and maintain the system, plus provide additional funding for capital improvements. MassDevelopment will continue to manage customer service and billing.
“The LELWD is pleased to bring our award-winning service and reliability to the Devens community. This will benefit the Devens residents and businesses who can rely on the LELWD to maintain the system and work to prevent outages. This is also a win for the LELWD as we create a new revenue source and new opportunities for the professional development of our line crews and engineers,” said Nick Lawler, P.E., General Manager of the LELWD.
The LELWD assumed operations and maintenance on July 1, 2025. The additional revenue and service territory will allow the LELWD to strengthen its team of line crews and not impact rates or service for its existing customers.
The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant elected not to bid for the contract. Wellesley had served Devens since the early 2000s after assuming the role from the LELWD.
The municipal electric provider for Littleton and Boxborough, the LELWD has a reputation for reliable service and fast restoration of its infrequent outages. The LELWD has been recognized for eight consecutive years for excellence in reliability by the American Public Power Association. In 2024, the LELWD customers were without power for a total of 30 minutes, compared to national average of 149 minutes, according to the APPA data.
MassDevelopment is redeveloping the former military base into a community with 100 businesses and organizations employing about 10,000 workers and with about 1,900 residents.
July 7th, 2025