Connecticut Light & Power Co. (CL&P; Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, has reached an agreement with the Connecticut towns of Bethel, Redding, Weston, Wilton and Norwalk regarding its application to extend the 345-kV (345,000 V) transmission system from Bethel to Norwalk. A joint filing, submitted to the Connecticut Siting Council, outlines details of the compromise solution.

“The Connecticut Siting Council and state legislators encouraged the parties to work together to find a common solution, and that's what we did,” said David H. Boguslawski, vice president, Transmission Business, Northeast Utilities. “Our joint filing clearly shows compromise on both sides. The town leaders acknowledged the importance of transmission upgrades to meet the region's growing energy needs, and we were able to develop a flexible design to meet the unique needs of each town.”

The compromise solution calls for a mixture of underground and aboveground transmission at a cost of approximately US$185 million. More than 11 miles (18 km) of underground 345-kV cable will be installed in two segments along a 20-mile (32-km) route. The first segment, to be located in Bethel, will run between Whittlesey Road and the intersection of Route 58 and Hoyts Hill Road. The other will be nearly 10 miles (16 km) in length, running between Archers Lane in Redding and near the intersections of Routes 7 and 33 in Wilton. The aboveground transmission will vary by location along the route with construction of nearly 6 miles (10 km) of monopoles and 4 miles (6 km) of wooden H-frame poles.

“This solution moves Connecticut one step closer to soon having an electric system capable of efficiently moving power to where it's needed,” adds Boguslawski.

The agreement comes two years after the regulatory review process began. If approved, construction is expected to begin at the end of the year with an in-service date of 2005.
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