Berlin-based Eversource spent about $930 million in Connecticut in 2016 on power system upgrades to prevent outages, the company said Tuesday.
Craig Hallstrom, president of regional electric operations at Eversource, touted the company’s enhanced reliability in providing electricity through the grid. The utility has 1.2 million electric customers in Connecticut, as well as 226,000 natural gas customers.
“We all remember the historic storms of the last several years,” Hallstrom said. “Building a better, stronger, smarter grid will improve reliability for our customers no matter the weather.”
In 2016, the company installed 24 miles of thicker electric wire, approximately 2,700 new utility poles and trimmed troublesome trees along more than 4,000 miles of power lines in Connecticut.
The company also added more than 60 “smart switches” to the system. Automated switches ensure there is more than one way the electricity can reach customers, reducing the duration of outages and the number of customers affected.
Investments on upgrades will continue in 2017, the company said, particularly with tree-trimming and strengthening the grid.
