Installation highlights safety, customer benefits and next steps in statewide modernization

AGAWAM, Mass. (October 31, 2025) – Eversource and Agawam Mayor Christopher Johnson marked another milestone in Massachusetts’ smart meter rollout today with an installation at the mayor’s home, highlighting the technology’s safety, customer benefits and the program’s progress across the state. The mayor is the first customer in his community to receive a smart meter.

The installation is part of Eversource’s multi-year initiative to upgrade all 1.5 million electric meters statewide, a key component of the company’s grid modernization strategy. Smart meters enable safe, secure, two-way communication between the meter and Eversource’s systems, providing near real-time energy usage insights for customers, faster outage detection and restoration and remote service connection and disconnection capabilities.

“Smart meters are about giving our residents control over and visibility into their energy usage,” said Mayor Johnson. “I understand that some people have questions, and I want them to know this technology is safe, secure and designed to help families manage energy costs more effectively.”

Agawam Mayor Christopher Johnson and Eversource's Community Relations Director Mike Vedovelli, Smart Meter Deployment Supervisor David Bater, Meter and Service Supervisor Andrew Netherwood, Smart Meter Service Representative Wayne Lafleur, Director of Smart Meter Technology & Operations Luis Pizano, Manager of Field Meter Operations Chris Kellogg, Smart Meter Deployment Manager Jason Valente, and Smart Meter Deployment Supervisor Doug Griffith stand together with the mayor's new smart meter.

“Smart meters are a cornerstone of a modern, resilient energy system,” said Luis Pizano, Eversource Director of Smart Meter Technology & Operations. “They help us detect outages faster, respond more efficiently, and give customers tools to track and manage their energy use with precision. Built with encrypted, secure communication and meeting rigorous industry standards, smart meters are key to modernizing the grid while ensuring safety and reliability.”

Eversource Smart Meter Service Representative Wayne Lafleur installs a smart meter at Mayor Johnson's home.

Smart meter installations began in Western Massachusetts in July, starting in Springfield and surrounding communities. With Eversource crews exchanging thousands of meters each month, the energy company has installed more than 35,000 smart meters in Western Massachusetts to date. Installations are now underway in Agawam and neighboring towns. Customer installations in Eastern Massachusetts will begin in early 2026, following completion of ongoing network upgrades there. Eversource aims to exchange up to 60,000 meters per month by spring 2026, substantially completing the statewide rollout by the end of 2027.

The technology is already widely adopted across the U.S., with more than 76% of electric meters nationwide now having smart capabilities. Eversource’s program builds on that proven track record, ensuring compliance with all safety and privacy standards while delivering meaningful benefits to customers.

Learn more about smart meters, installation schedules and what to expect at.

Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is recognized as the #1 U.S. utility on TIME’s List of World’s Best Companies for 2024. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 2.2 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.58 million electric customers in 159 communities, 647,000 gas customers in 125 communities, and 12,000 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of more than 10,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 Energy Efficiency Provider in the Nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.

CONTACT:
Olessa Stepanova 
781–441–8952 
olessa.stepanova@eversource.com

Kaitlyn Woods
508-895-4888
kaitlyn.woods@eversource.com