BERLIN, Conn. (February 22, 2015) – Beginning this week, Eversource will be conducting aerial inspections of high-voltage electrical equipment on rights-of-way throughout Connecticut. This semiannual inspection is an important part of the company’s ongoing commitment to providing reliable electric service. The work involves the use of a helicopter equipped with heat-sensing, infrared scanning technology which can detect potential equipment issues before they occur.
“Over a million customers in Connecticut depend on
us for reliable electric service to power their day-to-day lives,” said Steve
Gilkey, Vice President of Connecticut Field Operations at Eversource.
“The semiannual helicopter inspections of our transmission lines are a
crucial and effective part of our commitment to reducing the frequency and
duration of power outages.”
Weather-permitting, the aerial inspections will
start Wednesday, February 22 and continue through March 1. They will take
place from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., covering the following Connecticut cities
and towns:
Andover, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethany, Bethel,
Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Bozrah, Branford, Bristol, Brookfield, Brooklyn, Canton,
Chaplin, Cheshire, Chester, Columbia, Coventry, Danbury, Darien, Deep River,
Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hartford, East Haven, East Lyme, East
Windsor, Ellington, Essex, Farmington, Franklin, Glastonbury, Granby,
Greenwich, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Hampton, Hartford, Harwinton, Hebron,
Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Litchfield, Lyme, Manchester, Mansfield, Meriden,
Middlebury, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, Monroe, Montville, Naugatuck, New
Hartford, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, North Branford, North Stonington,
Norwalk, Old Saybrook, Orange, Oxford, Plymouth, Pomfret, Portland, Putnam,
Redding, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, Salisbury, Shelton, Simsbury, Somers,
South Windsor, Southington, Stamford, Suffield, Thomaston, Thompson,
Wallingford, Washington, Waterbury, Waterford, Watertown, Westport,
Wethersfield, Wilton, Windham, Windsor, Wolcott, Woodbridge and Woodbury.
DESCRIPTION OF AIRCRAFT: Blue & silver helicopter, tail # N1431W, and blue
& white helicopter, tail # N411DD
The region’s transmission system is the backbone
of the electric grid. Overhead inspections of transmission lines and
equipment – often located upwards of 100 feet in the air – help engineers
detect potential problems in advance, allowing the company to schedule
necessary maintenance and upgrades before reliability issues arise.