Sunday, March 31, 2013
The utility company recently announced its support for the group in hopes of helping develop green technology.
National Grid recently announced it will become a platinum sponsor of the 2013 Cleantech Open Northeast Business Competition and Accelerator Program, an initiative designed to help the development of innovative clean energy solutions. The program is run by the Northeast division of the Cleantech Open, a not-for-profit group that has helped 727 green energy startups raise over $800 million in capital since its founding in 2005. "The Cleantech Open has a very successful track record in helping companies develop their innovations through to investment and we’re thrilled to have a partner on board as dedicated to clean technology as National Grid is,” said Alexandra Adler, Northeast Regional Director, Cleantech Open. “This partnership will …
Monday, March 4, 2013
National Grid says it will address Foxborough’s problem with power outages by improving wire and establishing a new connection point. Union Loop project is expected to take five to eight years to complete.
National Grid, in an informational video, has revealed details to its short and long-term plans to address Foxborough’s problem with power outages. The plan, according to Ryan Constable, National Grid Distribution Asset Manager, calls for reinforcement of the sub-transmission Union Loop system by increasing wire size and establishing a new connection point for Foxborough. “New connection point [will be established] for a new source of power in North Foxborough,” Constable said. “When we have this new source of power we will be able to reduce distribution distances and reduce the exposure for the customers in the north and eastern portions of the area and improve the reliability.” The wire size increase on existing wood poles is expected to…
Friday, December 14, 2012
National Grid was fined nearly $19 million, the highest fine levied against utilities in Massachusetts.
The state on Tuesday ordered a total of $24.8 million in penalties to utility companies for their response to storms in 2011. Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan joined Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Chairman Ann Berwick and DPU commissioners Tuesday to announce the findings of the DPU’s investigation into responses to Tropical Storm Irene and the October 2011 snowstorm. Provided the penalties hold up, customers should see a reduction in their bill, though it is unclear how much, officials said. National Grid faces the steepest penalty, at $18.725 million. NSTAR has been ordered to pay $4.075 million, while the Western Massachusetts Electric Company faces a $2 million penalty. National Grid told the…
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Foxborough’s Board of Selectmen agreed to have Town Counsel Richard Gelerman draft a formal complaint letter against National Grid to the Department of Public Utilities following the town's power outages from Superstorm Sandy.
Foxborough’s Board of Selectmen agreed Tuesday to file a formal complaint against National Grid following the power outages caused by Superstorm Sandy at the end of October. “[We are going to] take the proactive step and draft a letter to the Department of Public Utilities and say we have a formal complaint [against National Grid],” said Foxborough Board of Selectmen chair James DeVellis. This is the third issue in one year and we need some answers.” The decision comes two weeks after Foxborough officials expressed their frustrations with the utility company following the town’s third significant power outage caused by a storm in the past year. The letter of complaint will be drafted by Town Counsel Richard Gelerman, reviewed and approved …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
National Grid said it is ready to go with more than 500 crews in the event of power outages from Wednesday night's Nor'Easter.
National Grid, the electric utility that had hundreds of thousands of customers without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, said it is ready for Wednesday night’s Nor’Easter. The latest storm first moved in on Wednesday morning and is expected to last into Thursday with high winds, heavy rain and some heavy wet snow to the west and north. National Grid said it is ready to respond to any power outages that may occur as a result of the weather. There are more than 500 line and tree crews available and ready to respond to any storm-related outages, plus more than 200 “wires-down” personnel. That includes both National Grid crews and those from other companies that are assisting National Grid. The storm has also activated the company’s…
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Despite boiling frustration with more power outages, the town of Foxborough emerged from Hurricane Sandy in relatively "good shape" thanks to the efforts of various town departments.
Aside from power outages, which continue to be a significant issue in Foxborough, the town weathered Hurricane Sandy very well, according to Foxborough Fire Chief Roger Hatfield. “Overall, as you look at the community, we had a lot of success,” Hatfield said. “We didn’t have a lot of damages like we did last year.” Hatfield said the storm caused relatively minor damage, most notable to three structures. A section of roof blew off of Chace Lumber storage area on Washington Street A tree came down onto an apartment building at Walnut Park Apartments on 12 Fuller Rd. A couple of trees came down on houses and five trees came down on power lines. Hatfield added there were no injuries reported during the storm. Foxborough Chief of Police Edward …
National Grid officials said that the majority of those without power, which is at three-percent of all customers, should get it back by midnight tonight.
National Grid crews are out restoring power to those that are still in the dark after Hurricane Sandy and said that nearly all customers should have power by midnight tonight. In a teleconference this afternoon, National Grid president Marcy Reed said that crews have been out restoring power to customers across the northeast for over 48 hours since beginning on Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., when the power company decided it was safe to begin working. Reed said that, as of 3 p.m. Thursday, power has been restored to 97 percent of National Grid customers. Roughly 5,600 customers are still without power. "The lion's share of our customers [without power] will receive power by midnight tonight," said Reed. Reed said crews will most likely have a …
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
National Grid President Marcy Reed said Wednesday that the company is ahead of schedule in its effort to restore power and said the company will continue to wok out kinks with the newly-created community liaison position.
National Grid is head of schedule in its effort to restore power following widespread outages following Hurricane Sandy, according to company President Marcy Reed. Reed, speaking to reporters in a conference call from a Chelmsford parking lot Wednesday afternoon, said the company’s estimated restoration times were based on having three-quarters of its customers restored by Thursday night. “We are already there,” she said. “We are progressing ahead of schedule.” As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 78 percent of the 237,000 National Grid customers that were without power statewide had been restored. “We are pressing ahead as we always have been,” she said, adding she expects that a majority of the customers still without power will have it back by …
Members of the Foxborough Board of Selectmen vented their frustrations regarding the town’s most recent power outage following Hurricane Sandy Monday.
Foxborough Board of Selectmen chair James DeVellis is angry – as are many of the residents – following the town’s third significant power outage over the last year caused by a storm. “This is the third time now and I’m sick of it,” DeVellis said. “I’m tired of it. The same thing being said now [by National Grid regarding the power outages] was said last year.” DeVellis and other Foxborough officials vented their frustrations to National Grid liaison Tom Coughlin Tuesday, calling the power outage situation a bad running “joke” for the town. “When the newspapers and television crews set up on our Common the day before [the storm] to say, ‘I wonder what’s going to happen to Foxborough,’ it’s almost a joke,” DeVellis said. … I don’t know what …
National Grid liaison for Foxborough, Tom Coughlin, admitted the utility company still must do better when it comes to storm preparation, communication.
National Grid liaison Tom Coughlin's first order of business Tuesday at Foxborough's emergency Board of Selectmen meeting at Town Hall was not to update the town on the status of its power outages but rather to issue an apology. "I think I have to start out by saying on behalf of National Grid I apologize to the town for any erroneous information," Coughlin said. "That’s something we are going to have to get really good at." The "erroneous information" Coughlin is referring to was the percentage of power outages in Foxborough Monday night caused by Hurricane Sandy. The number was reported by National Grid to Foxborough Fire Chief Roger Hatfield as high as 75 percent of the town without power. That figure forced Foxborough Schools …
Shoemaker
10:22 am on Saturday, March 9, 2013
I hope they have something better thought out than this. Increasing the size of the conducters on the wooden poles will do little to improve service continuity. While it will aleviate thermal and voltage constraints in the short run, it will do nothing for tree and storm contingencies. And loop feeding while perfect for maintance and average single fault events, it helps little during severe … more ›