What a Municipal Light Plant is
Most Massachusetts towns buy electricity from a big company like Eversource or National Grid. Those companies pay into a fund that becomes Mass Save's rebate money.
Some towns never joined that system. Instead, over 100 years ago, they built and still run their own local electric company, owned by the town itself. This is called a Municipal Light Plant, or MLP for short.
Because MLP towns don't pay into the Mass Save fund, Mass Save doesn't offer rebates there. It isn't a punishment — it's just how the funding works.
The confirmed list of excluded towns
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities lists 41 municipal light plants serving all or part of 50 cities and towns. If one of these sends your electric bill, Mass Save's electric-side rebates don't apply to you:
| Town | Light plant |
|---|---|
| Ashburnham | Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant |
| Belmont | Belmont Municipal Light Department |
| Berkley | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Boxborough | Littleton Electric Light & Water Department |
| Boylston | Boylston Municipal Light Department |
| Braintree | Braintree Electric Light Department |
| Chester | Chester Municipal Electric Light Department |
| Chicopee | Chicopee Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Concord | Concord Municipal Light Plant |
| Danvers | Danvers Electric Division |
| Dighton | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Georgetown | Georgetown Municipal Light Department |
| Gosnold | Gosnold Electric Light Company |
| Groton | Groton Electric Light Department |
| Groveland | Groveland Municipal Light Department |
| Hingham | Hingham Municipal Light Plant |
| Holden | Holden Municipal Light Department |
| Holyoke | Holyoke Gas & Electric Department |
| Hudson | Hudson Light and Power Department |
| Hull | Hull Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Ipswich | Ipswich Municipal Light Department |
| Lakeville | Middleboro Gas and Electric Department |
| Littleton | Littleton Electric Light & Water Department |
| Lynnfield | Reading / Peabody Municipal Light Plants |
| Mansfield | Mansfield Municipal Electric Department |
| Marblehead | Marblehead Municipal Light Department |
| Merrimac | Merrimac Municipal Light Department |
| Middleborough | Middleborough Gas & Electric Department |
| Middleton | Middleton Municipal Light Department |
| North Attleborough | North Attleborough Electric Department |
| North Reading | Reading Municipal Light Plant |
| Norwood | Norwood Municipal Light Department |
| Paxton | Paxton Municipal Light Department |
| Peabody | Peabody Municipal Light Plant |
| Princeton | Princeton Municipal Light Department |
| Raynham | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Reading | Reading Municipal Light Department |
| Rowley | Rowley Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Russell (northern part) | Russell Municipal Lighting Company |
| Shrewsbury | Shrewsbury's Electric Light Plant |
| South Hadley | South Hadley Electric Light Department |
| Sterling | Sterling Municipal Light Department |
| Stow | Hudson Light and Power Department |
| Taunton | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Templeton | Templeton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Wakefield | Wakefield Municipal Light Department |
| Wellesley | Wellesley Municipal Light Plant |
| West Boylston | West Boylston Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Westfield | Westfield Gas and Electric Light Department |
| Wilmington | Reading Municipal Light Plant |
What to do if your town is on this list
1. Check Mass Save's gas side
If your natural gas comes from a Mass Save gas sponsor (not a town gas department), you may still get a no-cost home energy assessment, weatherization help, and heat pump rebates applied through your gas account. Note: the federal 25C and 25D tax credits ended for work done after December 31, 2025.
2. Check if your MLP runs its own program
Many Municipal Light Plants run smaller rebate programs of their own — usually less generous than Mass Save, but real money. Since there are 40-plus different MLPs, each with its own program details, we can't list every one here. Check your own town's municipal utility website directly for current offers.
3. A statewide zero-interest loan option
Massachusetts also runs a Municipal Light Plant zero-interest loan program, built specifically for homeowners in MLP towns who can't access the standard Mass Save HEAT Loan. The DOER MLP Z-Loan lends $500 to $25,000 at 0% interest for up to 5 years, for heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation and weatherization recommended in a home energy assessment. Apply at myz-loan.com before work starts.
FAQ
Why can't my town use Mass Save?
Mass Save is funded by investor-owned utility companies like Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil. Towns with their own Municipal Light Plant don't pay into that fund, so Mass Save can't offer rebates there.
What is a Municipal Light Plant?
An electric utility owned and run by the town itself instead of a private company. Many were set up over a century ago and have stayed independent ever since.
Can I still get help if my town isn't eligible for Mass Save?
Some. The federal 25C and 25D tax credits ended after December 31, 2025. MLP customers can use the state's 0% MLP Z-Loan and the state solar tax credit. Many MLPs also run their own smaller rebate programs — check your town's municipal utility website directly.
Next steps
View all Massachusetts rebate programs →, read the full 41-towns story →, or contact us for questions →