FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For More Information:

Friday, November 14, 2003 Derek Phelps

Office: 860 827-2935

Wireless: 860 982-6512

The Connecticut Siting Council announced today it would conduct several public hearings in local communities to hear directly from local residents about the Northeast Utilities proposal to upgrade its electric utility grid in southwestern and central Connecticut. The hearings will begin in mid-December and will continue through January and February.

Northeast Utilities and United Illuminating jointly filed an application with the Siting Council on Thursday, October 9, 2003 to construct a new 345-kV electric transmission line between Middletown and Norwalk and reconstruct portions of its existing lines. The proposed route is approximately 69 miles long and affects as many as 24 municipalities.

The Council is currently reviewing the application to ensure it is complete and is consistent with a new set of guidelines recommended by a special legislative task force.

According to state law the Council is required to hold a public hearing in the county in which a project is proposed. However, Chairman Pamela Katz said: "The Council is committed to gathering as much public comment about this proposal as possible. To that end, we decided to schedule hearings throughout the proposed route to ensure each resident is afforded the opportunity to attend a hearing that is either in or close to their home."

The schedule announced by the Council today is as follows:

Wednesday, December 17, 2003
City Council Chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace, Bridgeport
(Also to include the towns of Trumbull and Fairfield)

Monday, January 5, 2004
Bedford Middle School, 88 North Avenue, Westport
(Also to include the town of Norwalk)

Thursday, January 15, 2004
Parsons Gov’t Center Auditorium, 70 West River Street, Milford
(Also to include the towns of West Haven and Stratford)

Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Weston High School Auditorium, School Road, Weston
(Also to include the towns of Wilton and Easton)

Thursday, February 5, 2004
Sheehan High School Auditorium, 142 Hope Hill Road, Wallingford
(Also to include the towns of Meriden and Cheshire)

Thursday, February 19, 2004
Gymnasium at the Center, 4 Meetinghouse Lane, Woodbridge
(Also to include the towns of Hamden, Bethany, and Orange)

Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Woodrow Wilson Jr. High, Wilderman Way, Middletown
(Also to include the towns of Haddam, Middlefield and Durham)

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The Connecticut Siting Council (Council) has jurisdiction to objectively balance the statewide public need for adequate and reliable services at the lowest reasonable cost to consumers with the need to protect the environment and ecology of the state. The Council is funded through application fees and assessments, and administrative assessments of the electric utilities, hazardous waste generators, and telecommunications providers of the State. The agency website is ct.gov/csc.