NSTAR Set To Begin Construction Of Major New Transmission Line In Southeastern Massachusetts

NSTAR Electric will soon begin constructing a new 345,000 volt transmission line that will bolster the reliability of the entire electric grid serving Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Construction for the 26-mile project from Carver to West Barnstable on Cape Cod is set to start in two weeks and is slated for completion next summer.

“This is a major electricity reliability project for the southeastern part of our state that will provide an enhancement of significance not seen in decades,” said Werner Schweiger, President of NSTAR Electric. “When complete, the new transmission line will provide greater access to available power and an additional redundancy option in the event of an issue affecting the existing lines.”

Along with improved reliability for hundreds of thousands of utility customers across Southeastern Mass., NSTAR’s $106 million project will provide immediate economic and environmental benefits by reducing the area’s reliance on fossil-fueled power plants. A study by ISO New England also recommended the new line as the most prudent, cost-effective way to meet federal standards for backup power delivery to Cape Cod and the Islands.

The construction phase of NSTAR’s new transmission line will be a welcome boon to the local economy. The project is expected to provide about 100 jobs in the construction and utilities trades, with local businesses also being called upon whenever possible to supply the vast inventory of materials needed for the multi-faceted project.

Highlights of the project include building new transmission towers, installing 18 miles of new high-voltage electric lines, placing existing lines onto their own structures to further enhance reliability and installing a third 345,000 volt line spanning the width of the Cape Cod Canal. NSTAR has developed a website, www.nstartransmission.com, to provide detailed information and regular updates about this project.

NSTAR is the largest Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility. The company transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including more than one million electric customers in 81 communities and 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities. NSTAR is a Northeast Utilities company (NYSE: NU). For more information, visit www.nstar.com.

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