Eversource has announced the energization of the Sudbury to Hudson Transmission Reliability Project, completing Eversource and National Grid’s Greater Boston and New Hampshire Solution to strengthen the resiliency of the region’s electric transmission system against extreme weather and improve reliability for customers.
Sudbury to Hudson in eastern Massachusetts was the final project completed in a suite of 50 projects included in the broader regional suite of projects, selected by ISO New England as a preferred solution to enhance regional electric reliability, increase the capacity of the system and provide more grid flexibility during emergency events. Other major projects in the solution included the Merrimack Valley Reliability Project, Woburn to Wakefield, and Mystic to Woburn.
The project construction included installing a new, nine-mile, 115 kV transmission line between the Eversource substation in Sudbury and the Hudson Light and Power substation in Hudson. Eversource constructed 7.6 miles of the line underground within an inactive Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) railroad corridor passing through Sudbury, Marlborough, Stow, and Hudson.
This will create a new multi-use rail trail for local communities upon completion, with the remaining 1.4 miles of the line built under the streets in Hudson.
The project team worked with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to achieve the dual purpose of increasing the reliability of the regional electric transmission system while advancing the statewide multi-use trail network initiatives. The path will improve bike and pedestrian safety and create regional trail connections with other walking trails in the area while preserving the railroad features such as town markers, mile markers, and ring posts.
“The Greater Boston and New Hampshire Solution projects are great examples of how we are continually planning, building, and delivering transmission projects that increase the reliability of the electric grid for our customers, strengthen it against climate change, and enable increased capacity to support the demands of electrification and the interconnection of more renewable energy resources,” said Eversource President of Transmission and Offshore Wind Projects, Bill Quinlan.
Additionally, three existing bridges along the MBTA right-of-way were replaced as part of the project to facilitate community use of the rail trail. Eversource removed 3.5 acres of existing invasive plant species, enhanced existing vernal pool habitats, and installed over 2,000 woody plants within the corridor.
Eversource will continue restoration efforts through early 2025, after which the DCR will cover and finish the rail trail.
