NEW BRITAIN, CT – Today, Consumer Counsel Coleman expressed strong support for the New England States Committee on Electricity’s (“NESCOE”) call for Eversource to pause its proposed Eastern Massachusetts Underground Cable Modernization Program (“UCMP”) due to outstanding questions related to reliability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed project plans. In a letter to Eversource’s executive leadership sent Tuesday, NESCOE requested an immediate pause on the implementation of nonurgent project components and a meeting with relevant stakeholders – including the region’s grid operator (ISO-New England), New England’s Public Utility Commissioners, and Consumer Advocate Offices – to discuss the best path forward for ratepayers as it relates to the proposed overhaul of the transmission network serving the region’s largest load center.
“We applaud NESCOE for requesting a common-sense pause on Eversource’s proposed underground cable modernization program so we can all better understand the cost-effectiveness of the proposed project and its reliability impacts. Massive investments are being made with ratepayer dollars to repair and replace transmission lines, and it makes sense that there is a collective effort calling for stronger oversight of our regional transmission operators’ expenditures, which is critical for cost containment in Connecticut and across New England,” said Consumer Counsel Coleman.
Through the UCMP, Eversource is proposing to phase in the replacement of 179 of 191 miles of underground transmission lines in the Boston area, the cost of which, upon completion, will be divided amongst the ratepayers of all New England states and cost recovery is approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”). Eversource’s most recent estimates for the project range from $46-$51 million per mile, amounting to a potential program total in the $8 to $9 billion range.
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CONTACT:
Brooke Parker
Communications & Legislative Program Manager
brooke.parker@ct.gov
About the Office: The Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) is an independent state agency that represents the interests of consumers of Connecticut’s electric, natural gas, telecommunications, and private water companies before PURA, federal regulatory agencies, the legislature and courts. OCC’s team of attorneys, accountants, financial and policy analysts appear before PURA to argue for the most reasonable rates while expecting the best utility service possible for all customers.