To Our New Canaan Customers:
At Eversource, we know customers rely on us to deliver reliable power every day, and it’s a responsibility we take very seriously. Protecting and strengthening the electric lines that deliver power to you is vital to achieving that goal. We’ve had great success statewide in reducing the frequency and duration of power outages through reliability upgrades. These upgrades started in your community in January and will continue throughout 2016.
You Spoke – We Listened
We recently met with First Selectman Rob Mallozzi and other local leaders to re-visit the details of our reliability work, which includes electric system upgrades, tree trimming and tree removal. Addressing concerns about tree work was the primary focus of our conversations. Eversource voluntarily suspended tree work associated with these upgrades based on concerns raised by some New Canaan customers and community partners.
Our Tree-Trimming Plan
Trees bring local beauty, but during storms they are the number one cause of power outages. For example, in the last four years, we know that there have been 214 outages in one portion of town just because of trees. Other Eversource communities that have undergone tree trimming have shown a 40 percent reduction in tree-related power outages. With the town’s renewed support, we look forward to bringing similar results to New Canaan. The details of our plan include:
- We are reviewing 71 miles of power lines to address trees, branches and other vegetation that are encroaching on the electric system that serves your community. Please note, Eversource contractors are paid for their overall strategic work in completing the plan, not based on the number of trees they remove, as some residents believed.
- Hazardous trees have been marked for possible removal:
- Trees on town property will be evaluated by New Canaan’s tree warden, who will then determine whether tree trimming or removal will be done. As part of that review, 19 trees that were marked for removal along portions of Canoe Hill Road, Valley Road and Ferris Hill Road will now be trimmed.
- Decisions about trees on private property are made with the property owner. No work will be performed on your property without your consent. Our contractor, Lewis Tree Service, will go door-to-door. If you receive a door hanger because we missed you, please contact Lewis Tree through the number provided on the card as soon as possible.
Other Reliability Work
In addition to tree work, system upgrades will take place on circuits that have proven to be most vulnerable to extreme weather. Target areas include North Wilton Road, Valley Road, Smith Ridge Road (Route 123), and Michigan Road. The scope of work includes:
- Replacing approximately 16 poles with new, stronger poles
- Upgrading wooden cross-arms on poles with stronger and more weather-resistant, composite material
- Installing “fuse savers” to prevent long-term outages due to any potential momentary contact with electric wires
- Connecting a “circuit loop” that enables power to quickly flow from an alternate path, reducing the number of customers who may experience an outage
Thank you for taking the time to revisit the reliability project details. We will continue to provide specific updates as work progresses to parts of town that may directly affect you. In the meantime, project details, locations and maps will be provided for your community’s website – http://www.newcanaan.info/.
We’re proud to be working with you as we strengthen New Canaan’s electric system to deliver reliable energy and superior customer service.
Tracey Alston
Community Relations – New Canaan