NYSEG Continues Circuit Upgrades in Clarence

Resiliency investments to bring enhanced reliability to more than 1,300 customers

BINGHAMTON, NY — February 1, 2021 — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) announced today that it recently began construction for the third and final phase of its circuit upgrade project in the town of Clarence on the company’s 545 and 334 circuits, which deliver power to customers’ homes and businesses. The final phase of construction will upgrade roughly two miles of power lines and poles on Goodrich and Greiner Roads. The project, which is expected to be completed by April, will bring enhanced reliability to approximately 1,304 customers.
 
“Our primary duty as a utility is to provide our customers with safe and reliable service year-round,” said Paul Batz, Field Construction Coordinator at NYSEG. “This is an important responsibility and requires continued investments in our systems, like those being made here in Clarence. With these upgrades, our customers will be able to count on more reliable service for their homes and businesses.”

The primary goal of the project is to make the grid more reliable by increasing the capability of the circuit by converting the existing 4.8 kilovolt (kV) wire to 12kV wire and creating connections with nearby circuits. This will decrease stress on the circuit and help reduce the number of outages. Additionally, the wire will be upgraded to tree wire, a heavy, insulated wire that is more resilient to tree and branch impacts. The final phase of construction will also upgrade more than 90 utility poles to newer poles with a larger diameter that are more resilient to wind damage. These final pole sets will require rock drilling due to the location, adding to the complexity of the construction.

The project in Clarence is part of the company’s Resiliency Program which proactively hardens the company’s system to continue providing safe and reliable service to all customers. It began in May 2019 and will total more than four miles of upgrades when complete. Prior to starting construction, NYSEG also completed enhanced tree trimming along the power lines, which included trimming from ground to sky and removing overhanging limbs to create a higher overhead clearance. This will help to protect the infrastructure during the winter months when snow and ice can weigh down vegetation, causing it to come into contact with power lines.

“Trees, branches and foliage are a leading cause of power interruptions,” said Batz. “When damaged or broken during storms, this vegetation can take down power lines or poles and cause outages. Conducting the enhanced tree trimming ensures the circuit is well taken care of and allows our crews to efficiently complete the resiliency upgrades.”
 
NYSEG advises customers that temporary and minor traffic delay may occur during the project period. The company also asks that motorist use extra caution when near crews and work zones.

“Our NYSEG crews will be seen working throughout the next few months on Goodrich Road and Greiner Road,” said Batz. “These are high-traffic areas, so we thank our customers in advance for their attentiveness as they pass through work zones. This will allow crews to complete the upgrades safely and efficiently.”

NYSEG is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc.