Project Locations & Information > Central Connecticut Reliability Project : Central Connecticut Reliability Project (CCRP)
Project to improve reliability, ease transmission bottlenecks
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Together, the four projects are needed to solve existing problems that threaten the transmission system's ability to meet national and regional reliability standards and assure the adequacy and availability of electric power.
Project Need and Benefits
Currently in the early planning stages, the Central Connecticut Reliability Project is being pursued to address specific weaknesses in the transmission system in the central and western Connecticut areas. The project is designed to increase the capability of the transmission system to move power within Connecticut. It will also provide local residents and businesses with more reliable access to cleaner, more competitively priced power.
A strong transmission grid is vital to the region's safety, security and economic prosperity. Presently, the paths to move power within Connecticut are limited. The Central Connecticut Reliability Project will work with existing high-voltage lines and the other proposed NEEWS projects to help fix these system constraints. In this way, it will:
- Ensure reliability -- so the power's there when you need it;
- Help reduce energy costs; and, in turn,
- Strengthen the area's economy.
This 345-kilovolt (kV) high-voltage project works with three similar projects, including the Greater Springfield Reliability Project, the Interstate Reliability Project and the Rhode Island Reliability Project.
Why this project?
ISO-New England is the organization responsible for making sure there is a reliable flow of power in New England. It is the organization that led the system planning that eventually recognized the Central Connecticut Reliability Project, the Greater Springfield Reliability Project, the Interstate Reliability Project and the Rhode Island Reliability Project as the upgrades that best solved the problems identified in southern New England. The four projects comprise what is called the New England East-West Solution.
This project identification process took five years of extensive studies and reviewed thousands of possible route combinations, successively eliminating projects before focusing on the four proposed routes.
The options were evaluated against the criteria of:
- System flexibility and expandability
- Customer and community interests
- Natural environment interests
- Completion in time to serve need
- Cost impact on customers
Proposed Route, Regulatory Review and Timing
The Central Connecticut Reliability Project is the last of four projects currently under development to address transmission reliability problems in southern New England.
The proposed scope of the project includes roughly 36 miles of new 345-kV high-voltage overhead transmission lines to be constructed in existing rights-of-way. These rights-of-way are presently occupied by one or more overhead transmission lines. The plans also include upgrading two substations, one at Frost Bridge in Watertown, and the other in North Bloomfield. The proposed route will pass through Bloomfield, Simsbury, Canton, New Hartford, Harwinton, Litchfield, Thomaston and Watertown. As an analysis of the proposed route continues, the project scope may change.
Current plans are for the Central Connecticut Reliability Project to be in service during 2015.
How Does the System Work?
New England's power plants and transmission lines are interconnected to deliver electricity from power plants to customers across the region. Private companies sell power into a regional competitive electricity market. Regulated companies like Northeast Utilities own and operate the local transmission system, while the regional system is run by ISO-New England. Substations change the "bulk" electricity being delivered by the transmission system to a lower voltage to be distributed (on lower voltage lines) to homes, businesses and other users of electricity.
A strong 345-kV bulk power system ensures that power can be efficiently and economically moved longer distances from power sources (including renewable sources) to where it's needed. See a diagram showing how the system works.
Costs
The preliminary cost estimate for the Central Connecticut Reliability Project is $315 million. The final cost has not been determined because the project is in the early design stage. Changes to the design may occur during the siting process. Once the siting process is complete, the design will be finalized and the cost re-estimated.
Regulatory agencies ensure that electric utilities act in the public interest to keep rates as low as possible for all customers. All of our projects are carefully scrutinized by regulatory agencies to make sure that we are making prudent investments to maintain reliability with minimal environmental impact and at the lowest reasonable cost.
New England states have agreed to share the costs of projects that provide regional benefit. There may be instances where project costs over and above feasible least-cost solutions are paid for by consumers at the state or local level.
ISO-New England Planning Process
ISO-New England is authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate New England's bulk power system, administer the regional competitive wholesale electricity markets, and oversee a comprehensive regional system planning process.
To effectively carry out its charge, ISO-New England's Board of Directors and employees have no financial interest or ties to any company doing business in the region's wholesale electricity marketplace.
Communications and Public Outreach
As the project progresses, CL&P will be reaching out to local residents and businesses, state and local elected officials, community organizations, business groups and environmental organization to provide information on the project and get feedback. As work proceeds, we will post news releases, meeting schedules and public presentations, along with notice of opportunities for public input. For more information, contact the Central Connecticut Reliability Project.
