Berlin electric utility Connecticut Light & Power filed a five-year, $300 million plan with state regulators to harden its system against storms and other events causing electrical outages.
The $300 million plan includes tree trimming, electrical hardening such as making wires less vulnerable to interruption, and structural hardening such as strengthening poles and crossarms, CL&P said Tuesday. Electrical circuits with a history of poor performance will be targeted in the upgrade.
The cost of the upgrades can be recovered through rates, but the plan is subject to approval from the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
CL&P’s parent Northeast Utilities agreed to the $300 million expenditure with state regulators as part of NU’s April merger with Boston utility NStar.
CL&P came under heavy fire from state and local officials after the Oct. 29 snowstorm, the second time in three months power was cut to the majority of the utility’s 1.2 million customers, some of whom were without electricity for as long as 11 days.
