![]() “He also gave money for a pilot program for solar panels on poles. “We take those revenues and we put them into a capital fund,” said Wright. While McCluskey’s community support came without expectations for repayment, he always made it clear that any revenues or savings generated from his contributions be reinvested in green energy projects offering direct benefits to residents and visitors to Block Island. “During the summers, when the bus is not in use, we can back feed power from it to meet about 1% of our peak, shaving demand for power,” said Wright. McCluskey also bought an electric school bus to transport local students, replacing costly diesel fuel with electric power costs of about $100 a month. The co-op’s new bucket truck will be seen around the island by many of its 700 to 800 permanent residents. “We can charge it once or twice a week, and it is ready and available anytime we need it.” “With a sticker price of $620,000, there is no way we could have made the purchase on our own,” said Wright. The 55-foot boom has the reach to handle most work required on the co-op’s system, and with just 35 miles of paved roads in the 10-square mile community, Wright says it is ideal for daily use. “His quiet contributions not only improved our overall performance, helping us control our costs, but they also are helping to turn the island into a model environment for proving beneficial electrification concepts and reducing our overall environmental impact.”Īt 33,000 pounds, the full-sized bucket truck from Terex Utilities has a charging range of 135 miles. “Don’s impact on the co-op is making a tremendous impact on the island,” said Wright. The distribution co-op is a former investor-owned utility that became an electric cooperative in 2018 and joined NRECA a year later. ![]() The truck donation is among $3 million in contributions from McCluskey for clean energy community projects over the past four years, said Jeffery Wright, the founding CEO of Block Island Utility District. Rhode Island’s Block Island Utility District is receiving a new electric bucket truck this month thanks to the generosity of one of its original members-and the family of the late Donald McCluskey is hoping that his legacy inspires others living in electric cooperative communities to help fund clean energy projects. Block Island Utility District CEO Jeffery Wright got a glimpse of his co-op’s new electric bucket truck at NRECA’s PowerXchange and TechAdvantage® Experience in Nashville, Tennessee, in March. ![]()
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