HARDWICK – Hardwick Electric Department (HED) has a long and colorful history of strong civic engagement and local governance. Incorporated in 1897, HED was created to preserve energy democracy for a thriving local economy and rural communities. HED is charged with providing affordable, safe and reliable energy to all of its customers; a mission that has held true for over a century.
With a unique proximity to the people, local energy democracy ensures the voice of customers and key stakeholders are heard.
In an increasingly complex and interconnected energy industry, my vision is to ensure energy democracy withstands the next hundred years with community at the heart of HED.
Governed by a locally elected/appointed Board of Commissioners, HED has navigated the changes of grid modernization to deliver energy and electricity while maximizing the value of ratepayer investments.
Today, Vermont’s rules and regulations prescribe nearly every aspect of electric utility business operations, from customer billing to renewable energy power purchases and interconnection of distributed energy resources. The growing complexity of grid modernization presents HED with a unique challenge and an even more unique opportunity.
Most large utilities across the country long-ago invested in legacy business operations technology {e.g. information technology (IT) or operational technology (OT) systems, aka IT-OT}. With rapid innovation and computing capabilities now available, system integrations are proving exorbitantly costly to meet today’s complex distributed energy network requirements.
As HED’s general manager, my mission is first to listen to and observe the unique patterns of localized, community growth to discover system needs. Guided by local needs, I share and implement a collective vision to navigate HED through the grid modernization journey. As you can imagine, this work is increasingly complex and can sometimes occur at a glacial pace.
In the meantime, HED’s leadership and staff continue to improve and refine internal operating procedures while carrying forward long-awaited investments that exponentially increase our operational capabilities and system visibility.
Ongoing investments and projects include but are not limited to: a new phone system to better manage calls and serve customers; website improvements and upgrades to support better communication and customer relations; grid infrastructure and outage management system mapping (GIS and OMS); advanced metering infrastructure (AMI); renewable energy investments including energy storage, distributed energy resources and continued progress towards repairing the Wolcott Hydroelectric Generating Station (which has been offline after suffering damage in both the 2023 and 2024 flooding); as well as supporting customer transitions away from fossil fuels through rebates and incentives, and launching innovative pilot programs for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) charging and more.
While the past can sometimes be hard to forget and the future is unknown, I am committed to better telling HED’s story today. My vision is bright for what HED can be, as a partner and key asset to the communities it serves. I ask that you join me on this journey and help us navigate those waters together with a vested interest and supportive understanding of the challenging opportunities ahead.
Sarah Braese is the general manager of the Hardwick Electric Department.
