Could additional 115kV lines meet the same need at a lower cost with less impact on the environment?
No. Our job is to design long-term transmission solutions that are cost effective, safe and reliable, with minimal impact on the environment and people living in the surrounding communities. The multiple 115kV circuits currently serving this area of the state are already over-stressed. Additional 115kV lines would also be overstressed and would require frequent upgrades.

What has been approved for construction?
UI and CL&P received approval from the Connecticut Siting Council to extend the 345kV transmission system into southwest Connecticut. The state-approved route consists of 45 miles of overhead lines between Middletown and Milford and 24 miles of under-street lines between Milford and Norwalk.

Why just 24 miles underground? Why can't you bury the entire length?
Our planners, engineers and independent consultants have put as much of the approved route underground as technologically possible without sacrificing reliability or increasing risk. There are significant technical and operational limitations associated with the addition of 345-kV underground lines to a system that is predominantly overhead.

What happened to the public feedback we have been giving you?
The support and understanding of residents and businesses in the region is vital to the success of the project. So we continue to listen to public feedback, and where appropriate, we have made modifications to our plans based on public comments:

• In Durham, residents requested a bypass around the Royal Oaks neighborhood and the Siting Council included this request in their final decision.
• In Woodbridge, administrators of a private school asked for the new right of way to be shifted away from a building and this was included in the Siting Council’s final decision.
• In Cheshire, a resident approached us asking what can be done to reduce the impact of vegetation clearing required along existing easements on homeowners' front yards. We will move the existing 115-kV overhead line there underground, and replace it with the new 345kV line, reducing the need for clearing.
• In Bridgeport, the city recommended a new route that shortens the proposed route there by nearly a half mile.
• In Westport, a customer recommended a route adjustment that not only shortens the proposed route there by 3,900 feet, but avoids the historic and downtown districts.

How much is this going to cost?
UI’s portion of The Line will cost approximately $260 - $290 million. The United Illuminating Company will own 20 percent while our partner, CL&P, will own 80 percent of the project. This new estimate is based on a more detailed review of the project and reflects specific designs for equipment, financing charges during construction and the reconstruction of 115kV lines along the route. In addition, system problems identified in ISO New England's regional plan require numerous changes to the grid, such as replacing equipment whose ratings are no longer adequate for the duty imposed upon them.
When completed, The Line will have satisfied most of the reliability issues facing southwest Connecticut and will have responsibly balanced social, technical and cost factors.

When will the construction begin?
Construction is set to begin in the summer of 2006. Please check this website for construction updates including specific information about which areas are affected and when.

What can we expect during construction?
Construction in UI’s territory will take place in three phases along a 6 mile route from the Housatonic River in Stratford to the Singer substation site at Atlantic, Henry and Main Streets in Bridgeport. The most substantial construction will take place during the first phase when the new Singer substation is built and the underground ductline is installed. This process will take approximately 2 years. The second phase will be to "pull" the underground cable through the ductline, and this will take about 9 months to complete. The final phase will be to splice the cables together in the underground splicing chambers that were installed during the first phase. That process will take approximately 9 months. These construction phases will sometimes take place simultaneously, as multiple crews will work along the route whenever possible.

When is the project scheduled to be complete?
December 2009.

Who will pay for the project?
Because the successful installation of this final leg of 345kV line in Connecticut will increase the capacity and reliability for the entire New England grid system, costs will be socialized throughout New England as much as possible. The final cost allocation will be determined by FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

How long will this transmission upgrade be sufficient?
Based on current and projected population growth and load demand forecasts, it’s estimated that this transmission line upgrade will be sufficient for up to 20 years.

How did the Siting Council determine whether the transmission line should be buried or above ground?
The Connecticut Siting Council's permitting process considers several factors, including reliability, environmental impacts, the needs of the community and the cost of the selected approach.

Why does Fairfield County get the under-street route?
The existing right of way between Milford and Norwalk is narrow. Placing overhead lines along that right of way would require expansion of the corridor, resulting in the acquisition of approximately 100 acres of land as well as 29 homes and businesses. The approved route avoids that.

What effects will electric and magnetic fields (EMF) have on those living near the power lines?
Over the past 30 years, many scientific studies have been undertaken to determine whether EMF affect biological systems and health. Numerous peer reviews of this large group of studies have been conducted. The following conclusion by the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 1999, after a federal research program, typifies the findings of peer reviews:
"The probability that ELF-EMF exposure is truly a health hazard is currently small. The weak epidemiological associations and lack of any laboratory support for these associations provide only marginal, scientific support that exposure to this agent is causing any degree of harm."

Other national and international organizations have convened groups of scientists to review this research, before and since 1999, have reached similar conclusions. None have determined that the levels of EMF that we encounter near power lines and during our daily activities are harmful. Other than to protect from shocks, our federal and state governments have not set limits on these electric and magnetic fields or required measures to reduce exposures to protect public health.

Isn't this project part of a scheme to sell power to Long Island?
No. This is a Connecticut solution for a Connecticut problem. Connecticut is a net importer of electricity with the power coming from New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island via the 345kV transmission system. The 345kV system needs to be extended into southwest Connecticut to meet the region's present and future demand for electricity.

What’s involved with burying power lines underground?
There is much more to putting transmission lines underground than just burying them. Overhead and underground lines make use of very different technologies. Underground lines typically cost more, but can more easily be routed through highly developed urban areas, ideally within tunnels beneath city streets. But a disadvantage to underground installations is that their construction requirements, unlike an overhead line, necessitate access to every foot of the route, increasing construction impacts on roadways, traffic, wetlands, and wildlife habitats.

Electric power system engineers recognize that, when it comes to working with higher transmission voltages, underground lines have important differences from overhead lines. For instance, because the heat created by resistive losses moves more slowly away from underground cables, underground transmission lines commonly require more or bigger conductors to deliver the same amount of power. Because of the thick insulation around underground cables, installed cable lengths are shorter and many more splices (made in large underground vaults) are necessary. While a failure may happen less frequently on an underground line, when it does its location and repair typically takes several weeks to complete, during which time the remaining transmission system must operate reliably without the cable. Also, the substations at the ends of an underground cable will often need to have special equipment installed to compensate for the different operating characteristics associated with these cables.

Will you need to expand any rights of way?
Yes. The right of way in Middletown between Scovill Rock Switching Station and Chestnut Junction will be expanded. In addition, the Royal Oak By-pass ordered by the Connecticut Siting Council will require the establishment of a new right of way in Middletown and Middlefield.

How will the UI and CL&P be communicating to their customers throughout the construction process?
Both utilities will have a website for the project. For UI, it’s the site you are now browsing. The websites will contain up-to-date information on construction news, progress and potential traffic delays. UI also offers a telephone hotline –888-CT345KV (888-283-4558) –for use by any resident or business with questions regarding The Line. UI representatives will also be hosting town meetings, and providing businesses and customers with information on an individual basis as it becomes necessary and available.

Who do I contact for answers to more questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, call the Middletown/Norwalk hotline: 1-888-CT345KV, 1-888-283-4558.

Why is CL&P building the transmission line in UI’s service territory? 
While The United Illuminating Company owns the electric distribution lines within the 17-town area from New Haven down to Fairfield, The Connecticut Light & Power Company owns the existing 115 kV transmission right-of-way in this same area.  Since the Connecticut Siting Council sited the project within the existing transmission right-of-way, CL&P will build the new 345 kV transmission line.  UI will build 20% of the project, within Bridgeport and Stratford.

Will I have access to my driveway and/or business?
There may be brief periods of time when driveway access is restricted. At the end of each work day driveway access will be restored or other accommodations will be made. Affected customers will be contacted well in advance and UI will coordinate the access restrictions to minimize inconvenience to the customer.

If I live along the project route, how long can I expect to have construction in front of my doorstep?
The trenching operation in the roadway typically proceeds at an average rate of approximately 100 feet per day. Under the fast-paced work schedule, construction impact on any given address should not be more than one or two weeks per construction activity.

What are the typical work hours?
The typical work hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. There are also variations of these typical work hours due to traffic volumes, detours, special considerations, etc. where construction will be performed during permitted work hours.

What is the difference between the transmission lines and the wires and electrical equipment outside my residence or business?
The system of overhead and underground lines that connect to local residents or businesses are part of the local distribution network. The distribution system receives power from area substations that take power off the transmission grid and reduce it to a lower voltage from these lines to a level that is usable for consumers. The new transmission lines will help to increase the ability of generators to feed into the electrical network and help meet the growing demand for electricity.

Will there be stockpiles of dirt and construction debris along the route?
Materials excavated along the route will be loaded directly into trucks and removed from the sites on a nightly basis.

How will the work zones be left at the end of the day?
All work areas will be swept on a daily basis to minimize dust and keep communities clean. All trash will be removed on a daily basis. Trenches will be back-filled or plated at the end of the day.

How will the UI and CL&P be communicating to their customers throughout the construction process?
Both utilities will have a website for the project. The websites will contain up-to-date information on construction news, progress and potential traffic delays. UI and CL&P also offer a telephone hotline. UI’s number is 888-CT345KV (888-283-4558), CL&P’s number is 866-MID-NORW (866-643-6679). These numbers are for use by any resident or business with questions regarding The Line. UI and CL&P representatives will also be hosting town meetings, and providing businesses and customers with information on an individual basis as it becomes necessary and available.

Who do I contact for answers to more questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, call the Middletown/Norwalk hotline: 1-888-CT345KV, 1-888-283-4558 or log onto the website at www.themnline.com.