Backup Power in
Whole-home battery backup and standby generators for Jamestown, from the village and Shoreby Hill to Beavertail and the North End.
Build Your Power PlanJamestown is an island town. Route 138 crosses the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge to the mainland and the Pell Bridge to Newport, and in extreme weather one or both can close. When the power goes out here, the crews have to get onto the island first.
Before the Pell Bridge opened in 1969, Jamestown depended on ferries, and the 1938 hurricane destroyed the West Ferry docks. The island has always had to wait for help to cross the water.
Boston Backup Power is a division of Boston Automations in Norwood. We design and install RoseWater Energy systems, Savant Power and Generac and Kohler standby generators, and licensed electricians and gas fitters make the connections.
Authorized RoseWater Energy Dealer. Authorized Savant dealer. Authorized Generac and Kohler partner. Updated .
Storms and outages in Jamestown
Henri made landfall near Westerly on August 22, 2021. Both bridges closed that morning, and the next day at 6:30 a.m. 880 Jamestown customers were still without power.
The south end has its own problem. Beavertail Road is the only road connecting the southern peninsula to the rest of the island, and three storms in January 2024 washed it over at Mackerel Cove and left much of the sand in the cove behind it. Sandy in 2012 hit Beavertail Point hard enough that part of the loop road was closed.
Who supplies the power
Rhode Island Energy supplies Jamestown, as it does almost all of Rhode Island. In 2021, when it was still National Grid, the utility named Jamestown among the hardest-hit communities after Tropical Storm Henri.
Which system fits a Jamestown home?
We install all three, so we can recommend the one that suits the house and the budget.
Savant Power
For a village house or a cottage, Savant Power puts relay modules in the panel and Savant Power Storage in the house or garage, out of the yard setbacks.
Relay modules in your existing panel and Savant Power Storage batteries, so you choose which circuits get backup power and see your usage in the Savant app. Modules typically run $2,000 to $10,000, and battery backup $10,000 to more than $100,000.
Standby generator
On a lot with room inside the setbacks, a standby generator covers the long outages. It also pairs well with a battery system that handles the first moments with no gap.
A Generac or Kohler standby generator on natural gas or propane that starts on its own when the power goes out. Most installs run $7,500 to $20,000.
Where the equipment goes in Jamestown
Houses near Mackerel Cove, on the Beavertail peninsula and along the East and West Passage shores sit close to storm water. Equipment there goes in a garage or raised room, above the flood level, since RoseWater's warranty does not cover water damage.
On a smaller village lot, a generator has to clear the zoning setbacks as well as the manufacturer's distance from windows and doors, so an indoor battery may be the easier path.
How to start
For a RoseWater system, start with the Power Plan. For Savant Power, use the Savant quote form. For a standby generator, use the generator quote form. If you are not sure which one fits, use the contact form or call (781) 333-8003 and we will talk it through. We reply within one business day.
Questions about backup power in Jamestown
What happens if the bridges close during an outage?
What happens if the bridges close during an outage?
Crews cannot reach the island until they reopen. A HUB or a standby generator runs without anyone coming to start it, so the house looks after itself.
We use the house mostly in summer. What protects it in a January outage on the island?
We use the house mostly in summer. What protects it in a January outage on the island?
A HUB keeps heat, freeze protection, sump pumps and the network running with no gap, and remote access lets you check on the house from the mainland. A generator behind it covers a long outage.
We live on Beavertail. Is that harder?
We live on Beavertail. Is that harder?
Beavertail Road is the only road in and it has washed over in recent storms, so we design for longer outages and keep everything above the flood level.
Ready to plan backup power in Jamestown?
Tell us about the house and what has to stay on. We visit, size the system and give you a written proposal. We reply within one business day.