SHREWSBURY, MA — SELCO has received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2024. The recognition comes from the American Public Power Association (APPA), a trade group that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities.
APPA helps electric utilities track power outage and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service. Once per year, APPA’s Reliability Team compares this data to national statistics tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities.
“Year after year, data consistently demonstrate public power utilities provide highly reliable service.” said APPA Director of Research and Development Paul Zummo. “The utilities recognized here are truly elite when it comes to keeping the lights on. Their communities should be proud of the hard work and dedication of their local power providers as they earn this truly deserved recognition.”
Nationwide, the average public power customer has their lights out for less than half the amount of time that customers of other types of utilities do.
SELCO’s recognition comes as a result of multiple ongoing investments to improve system reliability. Through the continued deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and a new Outage Management System (OMS), SELCO is now able to more accurately track and record outage data. These tools allow SELCO to better identify trouble areas and prioritize system improvements where they are most needed.
“Recognition for reliability is always especially meaningful as our services are the underpinnings of economic prosperity and national security. As our reliance on electricity continues to grow, so does the importance of grid reliability and emergency response. We are proud that SELCO serves as THE role model utility for how these services should be delivered.” said Christopher Roy, General Manager of SELCO.
In 2024, SELCO’s Line Crews completed major upgrades to the town’s electric system to improve reliability and reduce power outages. Crews replaced nearly 27,000 feet of older overhead wires with stronger, more durable lines. They also removed over 46,000 feet of aging wires and replaced them with newer, insulated versions that are less likely to be affected by animals or trees. These improvements make the electric system more resilient and help keep the lights on during storms and other events.
SELCO also continues to enhance reliability through its proactive tree trimming program and ongoing infrastructure modernization efforts. These combined initiatives reflect SELCO’s commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and efficient electric service to the Shrewsbury community.
SELCO's Reliability Statistics 2024
| Metric | What It Measures | SELCO (2024) | *National Average (Based on 2023 EIA Data) | What That Means |
| 🔌 SAIDI | How long the power is out per customer each year(System Average Interruption Duration Index) | 16.6 minutes | ~149 Minutes | Non-SELCO Customers experience power outage durations for approximately 9x longer than SELCO customers |
| 🔁 SAIFI | How often outages happen per customer each year(System Average Interruption Frequency Index) | 0.36 outages | ~1.27 outages/year | Outages are far less frequent in Shrewsbury, happening less than once every 3 years on average for each customer |
| ✅ ASAI | How often power is available when you flip the switch(Average Service Availability Index) | 99.99% | – | Power is available virtually all the time |
| * For the Certificate of Excellence in Reliability, the American Public Power Association (APPA) compares a utility’s 2024 reliability performance to the five-year average (2019–2023) of the top 25% of utilities nationwide, based on EIA’s SAIDI data. This benchmark includes and excludes Major Event Days (MEDs) and reflects the most current comparison available using publicly released data. | ||||