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 Greater Springfield Reliability Project (GSRP)
Project to improve reliability, ease transmission bottlenecks
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Before and After Simulations of Greater Springfield Reliability Project Construction
Click on the following links to see the video and photo simulations of the proposed project in the Newgate Road and Suffield Mountain/Phelps Road areas in Connecticut.
H-frame line-design:
Delta line-design:
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The Greater Springfield Reliability Project is one of four major transmission projects that are part of the New England East-West Solution (NEEWS).
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.
The Greater Springfield Reliability project will address specific weaknesses in power transmission around Springfield, Mass., and provide businesses and residents in the Greater Springfield and Connecticut area with improved access to competitively priced power. It will also strengthen the reliability of the power grid in New England - improving its efficiency and eliminating crippling and costly bottlenecks.
Project Need and Benefits
A strong transmission grid is vital to the region's safety, security and economic prosperity. Presently, the paths for power to move in the Greater Springfield area are limited. The Greater Springfield Reliability Project will create a "beltway" for power to move into and around the Springfield area. 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 Interstate Reliability Project and the Central Connecticut Reliability Project, to improve the movement of electricity within New England.
Why this project?
ISO-New England is the organization responsible for making sure there is a reliable flow of power available in New England. It is the organization that led the system planning that eventually recognized the Greater Springfield Reliability Project, the Interstate Reliability Project, the Rhode Island Reliability Project and the Central Connecticut Reliability Project as the projects 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 proposed location of the new high-voltage 345-kV line is shown on the above map in blue and green. The orange line shows the "noticed alternative route" required by the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board.
The proposed route will pass through Bloomfield, East Granby and Suffield, Connecticut, and Agawam, Chicopee, Ludlow, Springfield, and West Springfield, Massachusetts. The proposal calls for the new lines to be located in existing utility rights-of-way, most of which are currently occupied by one or more overhead lines.
Applications/petitions for the project were filed with the Connecticut Siting Council and Energy Facilities Siting Board, respectively. The filings were made in late October 2008, following a period of Municipal Consultation and Public Open Houses. The regulatory approval process is expected to take from 12 to 18 months. Construction is expected to begin in late 2010 after the project's siting plans and permit applications are approved.
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 and National Grid own and operate the regional transmission system, which in total 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 Greater Springfield Reliability Project is $714 million. The final cost has not been determined because the project is in the early design stage and has not yet been through the state siting process. 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-NE 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 400 employees have no financial interest or ties to any company doing business in the region's wholesale electricity marketplace.
Communications and Public Outreach
Beginning with the Municipal Consultation and outreach efforts related to the Greater Springfield Reliability Project, Northeast Utilities has made a concerted effort to engage town officials, residents and businesses to inform, answer questions and listen to concerns about the project. 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 Greater Springfield Reliability Project.
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