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 Public Involvement - Connecticut
Connecticut Siting Council Decision and Order
Connecticut Siting Council Approves Greater Springfield Reliability Project
On March 16, 2010, the Connecticut Siting Council (CSC) voted to approve CL&P‘s application for the Greater Springfield Reliability Project (GSRP). The vote follows a process that has included a series of public comment sessions, field reviews and evidentiary hearings on the CL&P application for the Connecticut portion of transmission system upgrade project. The project is designed to comply with mandatory federal and regional reliability standards.
The CSC approved an all-overhead line along the proposed route. The new 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line primarily will be constructed using H-frame structures, with the exception of 1.1 miles in the northern portion of East Granby where the CSC ordered CL&P to build a split-phase 345-kV line on steel monopoles.
No construction can begin until all necessary permits are received. CL&P must also comply with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recommendations regarding state-listed endangered, threatened and special concern species within the vicinity of the approved line route.
CL&P is also required to hire an independent environmental consultant, subject to CSC approval, to monitor and report on the construction of the project and provide the Council with bi-weekly reports.
A full copy of the Decision and Order  (21MB) and related Opinion (233MB) is available here.
Development and Management (D&M) Plans - Connecticut
As the next step in the Connecticut siting process, CL&P prepared construction plans for the Connecticut portion of the GSRP, called Development and Management (D&M) Plans, written in accordance with the CSC regulations and the Decision and Order. CL&P filed these plans with the CSC, seeking its approval, on July 30, 2010. The CSC is expected to rule on the plans by mid-September, 2010.
The D&M Plans provide the construction details for the project, which includes 12 miles of new 345-kV overhead line located within an existing right-of-way in Bloomfield, East Granby and Suffield, Connecticut. An existing substation in Bloomfield will also be expanded.
Prior to submitting the D&M Plans to the CSC, CL&P presented draft versions of the plans on June 3, 2010, for public review and comment. The public was invited to participate in public review sessions where project representatives shared information on the project and sought comments on the draft D&M Plans. Comment cards were made available to the public at the public review sessions, in the libraries of affected towns, and on the project website.
CL&P revised the draft D&M Plans to address applicable comments received, if reasonable and not contrary to the CSC’s Decision and Order documents. As the project progresses, CL&P will continue to work with residents to address their questions or concerns about the project.
Below are the D&M Plans submitted to the CSC.
D&M Plan for North Bloomfield Substation:
D&M Plan for Overhead Transmission Line:
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