Lincoln Board Approves Verizon Small Cell, Renews Green Energy Contract

LINCOLN — September 12, 2022 — Lincoln Select Board approved a Verizon Wireless small cell installation near 33 Lexington Road and authorized renewal of the town's community energy aggregation contract at its September 12 meeting. The board voted 3-0 on both items after public hearings. Select Board Member Jim Hutchinson reported that the base electricity rate under the new aggregation contract is expected to more than double, from roughly 10 cents to more than 20 cents per kilowatt hour, driven by global energy market conditions; despite that increase, the town's Green Energy Committee recommended holding the dollar investment in renewable energy credits constant, which at current prices would add roughly five percentage points of greenness to the default mix at no additional cost to residents. Hutchinson noted the existing program saved Lincoln residents an estimated $1.1 million compared to Eversource basic service rates over the contract's first 22 months. Town Administrator Tim Higgins also announced that the National Park Service has signed off on an access permit for the long-delayed landfill solar project, clearing a key obstacle ahead of a planned request for proposals later this fall.