To help ensure customers have reliable power, Eversource is conducting aerial inspections of high-voltage electrical equipment in Connecticut using a helicopter with special heat-sensing imaging equipment.
The overhead inspections allow the energy company to cover vast distances while capturing images not visible to the naked eye.
These images identify potential problems with electric lines and related equipment, so the company can make any necessary repairs or upgrades before possible reliability issues arise.
“With more than 800 miles of transmission rights of way in Connecticut, helicopter inspections are a crucial and effective part of our commitment to reducing the frequency and duration of power outages,” said President of Regional Electric Operations Craig Hallstrom.
Hallstrom said over a million customers in Connecticut depend on Eversouce for electric service and that the company works continuously working to keep the electric system operating safely and reliably.
Weather-permitting, these aerial inspections will start Monday, August 6 and continue through August 17. They will take place from 8:00am until 4:00pm 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.
For identification purposes, the helicopter being used for Eversource’s transmission line inspections is a blue and silver Bell, with a registration number N1431W.
Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to approximately 4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by the sustainability advocacy organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of about 8,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and follow us on Twitter (@EversourceCorp) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceEnergy). For more information on our water services, visit www.aquarionwater.com.