Simply Stated
High-voltage power line upgrades benefit all of us by:
- Enhancing electric reliability.
- Connecting customers to competitively priced and cleaner sources of electric power throughout the region.
- Eliminating millions of dollars in penalties we pay for federally mandated "congestion charges" each year.
- Increasing the assessed value of transmission facilities, adding to town tax revenue.
Defining "Reliability"
In electric system terms, reliability means being able to serve power to customers even when planned or certain unplanned disruptions to the system occur. Disruptions to the bulk power system have the potential to cascade and cause widespread outages, safety issues and significant economic losses, as happened in the Northeast Blackout of 2003.
Considered the worst such event in North American history, the 2003 Blackout left 50 million people in the Midwest, the northeastern U.S. and Canada suddenly without power. Traffic lights went out and gridlock followed. Hospitals were faced with critical care situations. Air conditioning was lost in the August heat. People were trapped in elevators. Work halted.
The cost of that blackout is estimated to be $6 billion, and since then electric system reliability has gained increased attention. The Energy Act of 2005 was passed as a result of the Blackout, putting enforcement power behind the federal agency that oversees the electric industry and leading to more stringent reliability standards.
Failure to meet the standards can result in fines of $1 million per violation per day. This has added urgency to projects throughout New England to update a transmission system that was largely built 30, 40 and even 50 years ago for a different role and a much smaller power demand.
Reliability defined:
Within the electric utility industry, "reliability" is defined as:
1: Adequacy - The ability of the bulk power system to supply the aggregate electrical demand and energy requirements of customers at all times, taking into account scheduled and reasonably expected unscheduled outages of system elements.
2: Security - The ability of the bulk power system to withstand sudden disturbances such as electric short circuits or unanticipated loss of system elements from credible contingencies.
You can learn more about the 2003 Northeast Blackout at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Blackout_of_2003
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=2003-blackout-five-years-later
You can read more about the evolution of the electric system at:
http://www.nerc.com/page.php?cid=1|15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Electric_Reliability_Corporation
Other Benefits
| Average Cost for 1 Hour of Power Interruption |
| Industry |
Amount |
| Cellular Communications |
$ 41,000 |
| Telephone Ticket Sales |
$ 72,000 |
| Airline Reservation System |
$ 90,000 |
| Semiconductor Manufacturer |
$ 2,000,000 |
| Credit Card Operation |
$ 2,580,000 |
| Brokerage Operation |
$ 6,480,000 |
Over the past century, the nation's economic leadership has in many ways mirrored the trajectory of the grid's development.
In today's digital world, electrical demand from sensitive electronic equipment and automated manufacturing represents 40% of the electric load. This is expected to rise to more than 60% by 2015, demonstrating how reliable power can make an area more attractive to business.
Modernizing the bulk power infrastructure will support more robust economic development and job creation.
See a video 
(548 kbps Approx. 8 mins, 50 secs.) in which community, business, labor and environmental leaders in Connecticut and Massachusetts explain why the New England East-West Solution (NEEWS) project is needed and the benefits that can be expected.
Recent Reliability Projects in Connecticut
Between 2001 and 2008, Northeast Utilities successfully broke ground on and energized four substantial transmission system upgrades to strengthen the region's energy infrastructure. In doing so, NU has earned credibility as a technology leader, as an authority on new transmission construction - and for delivering savings to customers.
Middletown-Norwalk Project Improves Reliability
In December 2008, CL&P and United Illuminating energized the 69-mile, 345-kilovolt (kV) Middletown-Norwalk (M-N) transmission project ahead of schedule after a seven-and-a-half-year effort. The new transmission lines run through 18 Connecticut cities and towns to complete a loop linking the southwest part of the state to the nearly 400 miles of 345-kV lines running through the rest of Connecticut. Doing so improved electric reliability both in southwest Connecticut and in the New England region. Together with the Bethel-Norwalk (B-N) project completed in 2006 and the Glenbrook Cables project completed in November 2008, M-N enables the Connecticut transmission system to meet national reliability standards, and in turn provide a more secure regional transmission grid. Read more.
Glenbrook Cables Transmission Project Improves Reliability Along Stamford to Norwalk Corridor
The Glenbrook Cables project was completed and energized ahead of schedule in November 2008. Construction of the $239 million project began in October 2006 and included two new underground 115-kV lines installed for 8.7 miles under streets in the densely developed Stamford to Norwalk, Connecticut, corridor. The infrastructure upgrade was designed to meet the fast-growing customer demand for electricity in the area, as well as to help CL&P meet national reliability standards. Read more.
Long Island Replacement Cables Help Meet Reliability Needs in Connecticut and New York
In July 2008, CL&P and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) energized new undersea cables ahead of schedule. As part of the Long Island Replacement Cables project, seven underwater, fluid-filled transmission cables between Norwalk, Connecticut, and Northport, New York, were replaced with three new solid-core cables. The replacement cables significantly strengthen reliability of service to both states while reducing environmental impacts. Read more.
Bethel-Norwalk Project Improves Reliability in Southwest Connecticut
In 2006, CL&P finished work on the $350 million Bethel-Norwalk (B-N) 345-kV transmission line. As of October 2007, B-N was one of the largest transmission projects recently completed in the country. It was completed ahead of schedule by two months and came in under budget by more than $15 million. Significantly, B-N has saved customers millions of dollars in federally mandated charges - over $130 million between November 2006 and September 2007. Read more.
Benefits
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