Following the annual employee meeting, all Easton Utilities employees participate in a community tree planting event. This year they planted 38 trees on Commerce Drive and at John Ford Park. “I find this tradition personally rewarding as it combines teamwork and environmental stewardship with pride for our community,” said Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities.

The entire staff of Easton Utilities planted trees, spread mulch, and placed slow-release watering bags on a variety of trees including Pin Oak, London Plaine, Red Maple, Kwanzan Cherry, Nellie Stevens Holly, Sweetbay Magnolia, Green Giant Arborvitae, and Cryptomeria Japonica. Easton Utilities Commissioner Bill Stagg, a retired Landscape Architect, created the design for the Commerce Drive warehouse location.

The tree planting initiative is a tradition at Easton Utilities since it first began in 2008. Every employee is required to participate in some capacity following the annual employee meeting. Following a safety briefing, the teams embark on their mission to plant and mulch the pre-selected location. To date, Easton Utilities has planted over 470 trees to enhance the Town of Easton.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Please visit www.eastonutilities.com or call 410-822-6110 to learn more.

Easton Utilities recently celebrated significant service anniversaries achieved by five employees. “These incredible individuals deserve to be recognized for their ongoing commitment to our company, our customers, and our community,” said Vicki L. Petro, Vice President of Human Resources for Easton Utilities. “We are fortunate to have them on our team.”

40 years
• David Allen, Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor
• Rob Himelright, Electric Distribution Field Technician
30 years
• Kenny Wilkins, Power Plant and General Maintenance II
20 years
• Matt Baker, Journeyman Lineman
10 years
• Amy Forrester, Graphic Designer

The Talbot County Council presented a check for $1.75 million to Easton Utilities at their meeting on Tuesday, October 11, fulfilling a promise to residents to invest in broadband access for the entire county.

“This funding will remove the only remaining barrier for those needing access to broadband service as we realize affordability is crucial,” says Chuck Callahan, Talbot County Council President. The funding for this project was made available to counties and municipalities through the American Rescue Plan Act and caps a series of investments made by Talbot County to help fund the development of infrastructure for broadband access.

Easton Utilities was selected by Talbot County through a formal Request for Information (RFI) process that began in 2017. This final funding commitment covers the Contribution In Aid of Construction (CIAC) fee, eliminating the portion of the project that was initially planned to be paid by customers.

President and CEO of Easton Utilities Hugh E. Grunden praised the Talbot County Council thanking them for prioritizing broadband by allocating this funding for Connect Talbot, the rural broadband expansion project. “The residents of Talbot County are very fortunate as all will benefit from having equal access to broadband that is being provided by this grant funding,” stated Grunden.

Grunden also provided a status update for Connect Talbot project, explaining that construction is in progress across several locations throughout the county. To date, Easton Utilities has provided access to more than 575 customers and installed almost 100 miles of fiber. The goal is to complete all construction by the end of 2026, which would make Talbot County one of the only counties in Maryland with 100% access to broadband.

All updates and project information, including an interactive map of the coverage area, can be found at EastonVelocity.com/ConnectTalbot.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Easton Velocity, a service of Easton Utilities, is committed to keeping our community connected and current with a variety of service offerings designed to meet the needs of both residential and commercial customers.

Mayor Willey and the Town Council awarded $3.5 million from their second round of American Rescue Plan Act funds to Easton Utilities for broadband improvement projects in Easton. “It is imperative for the residents and businesses in the Town of Easton to have access to state-of-the-art internet service” said Town of Easton Mayor Robert C. Willey.

The funds will be used for the ongoing internet infrastructure upgrade in Easton which will provide the ability for Fiber-To-The-Premise connections. The entire project has an estimated cost of $15 million. The initial construction cost is approximately $5 million and is expected to take about five years, followed by the final connections on each customer property, which will cost $10 million over multiple years. “Investing grant funds in broadband infrastructure is a great way spread the benefit across the community,” said Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities.

Easton Utilities started planning to offer gigabit symmetric service to their existing internet customers about five years ago and completed the first phase of the upgrade in October 2020. This project spanned about two years costing approximately $10 million.

“Investing in this project will advance opportunities for all households in the Town of Easton to access the best quality internet service available today,” stated Megan M. Cook, Town of Easton Council President.

The $3.5 million will be combined with the $1.5 million from the first round of ARPA funds which the Town of Easton awarded to Easton Utilities in October 2021. Councilmember Al Silverstein said, “As a Member of the Easton Town Council, I was pleased to vote to award $3.5 million of this year’s ARPA funds to Easton Utilities allowing them to provide the fastest high-speed internet service to their customers while keeping the cost of this service as affordable as possible.”

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Visit eastonutilities.com for more information.

Easton Utilities will recognize Public Power and Gas Week, October 2-8, along with more than 2,700 other community-powered electric and gas utilities. This annual nationwide event is intended to build public awareness about the value of having community-owned power and natural gas utilities. “As we all continue to feel the economic impact of rising energy costs, this is an ideal time to remind our customers of the many benefits of public power and gas including lower rates, increased reliability and exceptional customer service through local employees,” said John Hines, Easton Utilities Electric Department Manager.

Having a public power and natural gas utility is good for the community for many reasons including:

• Customer Service: As a not-for-profit entity, public power and gas utilities focus on service, rather than profits.
• Competitive Costs: In order to offer fair and competitive rates, public power and natural gas systems operate as a not-for-profit entity. These systems do not face pressure to pay dividends to stockholders.
• Economic Benefits: Public utilities play a valuable role in helping communities broaden the tax base, and in turn improve the local economy and increase jobs. Public power and natural gas systems ensure that local dollars stay at home.
• Local Control: Decisions are made through local citizen participation instead of being made from a distant location by people who do not understand local issues and who are primarily focused on profits instead of service.

To mark Public Power and Gas Week, Easton Utilities will be sharing tips on how to save energy and money in your home. “The importance of conservation can’t be emphasized enough, especially as we head into the winter months and face higher utility bills due to rising energy costs,” stated Tucker G. Bullock, Gas and Meter Department Manager for Easton Utilities.

Easton Utilities is a member of the American Public Power Association and the American Public Gas Association. These associations advocate and advise on various policy, trends, training and operations. They provide benchmarks and standards for all member utilities to use for measurement and accountability.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. For more information, visit www.eastonutilities.com or call 410-822-6110.

President and CEO Hugh E. Grunden

At the Easton Town Council meeting on Monday evening, Easton Utilities presented the national economic realities behind the increasing energy costs, the strategies the company uses to dampen the impact, and what residents can do to keep their utility bills as low as possible.

President and CEO Hugh E. Grunden explained the various components of the electric bill and how the Energy Chargeportion is the line item being affected by the escalating costs. This charge is passed through to the customer at no markup – it is exactly what Easton Utilities pays to purchase energy on the customers’ behalf. The dramatic increase is a direct result of inflation and is a national issue affecting all utilities. “Geopolitical events and US energy policy have conspired to cause a dramatic increase in energy costs,” Grunden shared. “There remains upward pressure on energy prices as we move into the winter period.”

Grunden shared a comparison of an average Easton Utilities residential bill which reflected a 28% increase from August 2021 to August 2022. Under the Energy Risk Management Oversight Committee (ERMOC) policy, the company utilizes a variety of strategies to dampen the impact of volatile prices through advance purchasing over time and using a mix of fuel sources. In addition, when energy prices are high on the market, the ability to generate power onsite helps offset the higher prices.

Although fall weather in our region may result in lower bills due to less usage, the energy costs for electric and natural gas continue to increase. Easton Utilities encourages customers to be prepared for higher bills as the temperature starts to drop and we head into winter. Grunden provided several tips aimed at reducing consumption including the use of efficient appliances, checking for and repairing leaks, upgrading HVAC equipment, and adjusting thermostats. “Every two degrees can result in a 1% – 3% savings off your bill,” he said. For those struggling to pay bills, there are a variety of assistance programs and resources available.

As the Town of Easton’s municipal utility, Easton Utilitiesemploys a workforce of 169, the majority of which not only work but also live in or around Easton. In addition to the ongoing messaging to educate customers about the importance of conservation and the rising energy costs, Easton Utilities reminds customers that their bills include the numerous services they provide.“It is important to keep in mind our bill covers electric, gas, water, wastewater, internet, cable tv, and phone services, especially if you are comparing to an electric only provider,” added Grunden.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Visit eastonutilities.com or call 410-822-6110 for more information including conservation tips and assistance programs and resources.

The water main flushing program, conducted by Easton Utilities on an annual basis, is scheduled to begin in early August throughout the service territory. “This successful program allows us to focus on any areas of concerns within the infrastructure to ensure Easton Utilities can continue delivering high quality water,” stated Doug Abbott, Water and Wastewater Department Manager for Easton Utilities

The annual flushing program consists of opening certain hydrants in brief intervals to flush out sediment that may have collected in water mains over the past year. This enhances the long-term water quality, confirm adequate fire flows, and identifies possible malfunctions in the hydrants and system valves.

Customers in the immediate areas affected will be notified via a robocall several days in advance. To reduce the possibility of any inconvenience to customers, crews will work each night, Sunday through Thursday (excluding holidays), from 11 pm until 5 am. During the flushing of the water mains, there may be a temporary reduction of water pressure or some discoloration in the tap water. This discoloration condition is not harmful and can be addressed quickly by running cold water until it is clear after the flushing in the immediate area is complete. We also suggest not washing clothes during these operations.

For further information, please visit https://eastonutilities.com/annual-flushing-program/ or call 410-822-6110. We appreciate your cooperation as we work to maintain our water distribution system.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Please visit www.eastonutilities.com or call 410-822-6110 to learn more.

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) awarded Easton Utilities $3.5 million in grant funding to extend broadband to the remaining unserved locations in Talbot County.

This funding will be used specifically in the western part of the county including parts of St. Michaels, Bozman, McDaniel, Neavitt, Sherwood, Tilghman, and Wittman as well as several other isolated areas in Easton and Oxford.

“This is the final piece of the puzzle we needed to provide internet service to 100% of the unserved properties,” says Chuck Callahan, Talbot County Council President. “We are taking internet service to every corner of Talbot County, and we are doing it in a fiscally responsible way.”

Other unserved areas have been incorporated into the larger rural broadband project called Connect Talbot. Working in partnership with the Talbot County government since 2017, Easton Utilities has pursued the goal of providing high-speed internet service to the county’s unserved properties. This funding closes the remaining gap for the 8% of locations that were not included in prior grant awards.

“Throughout this initiative, we have focused on securing funding to ensure all residents without access to broadband service will have the opportunity to obtain high-speed internet if desired,” says Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO of Easton Utilities.

The project will provide service to 3,600 locations currently unserved in Talbot County at a total estimated cost of $35 million. The majority of the project is to be completed by 2026. While the initial financial model included a customer contribution, recent funding of $1.75 million from Talbot County in March 2022 eliminates this potential barrier to access for most future customers.

Since its beginning, the Connect Talbot project has been dependent on funding from federal, state, and local grants, as well as direct investments by Easton Utilities. Funding sources have included the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), State of Maryland, Talbot County Council, and Easton Utilities.

“When we started this project in 2017, none of us could foresee the pandemic and the resulting flood of resources that would become available,” Grunden explains. “Because we were already moving forward as a partner with the Talbot County Council, we have been well positioned to take advantage of these funding sources. We laid the groundwork years ago for this transformational project, and Talbot County is reaping the benefits.”

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Easton Velocity, a service of Easton Utilities, is committed to keeping our community connected and current with a variety of service offerings designed to meet the needs of both residential and commercial customers. Please visit www.EastonVelocity.com/ConnectTalbot or call 410-690-4605 to learn more.