Sometimes rural areas can be prone to power outages, but New York State and Electricity and Gas is taking steps to reduce attendance in parts of Chemung County.
NYSEG is launching a multifaceted project designed to make electricity delivery more reliable for customers in the cities of Erin and Van Etten.
The utility will install approximately 13.4 miles of 34.5-kilovolt bond line between the 570 loop serving Van Etten and the Ridge Road 501 loop serving Erin.
A bond line connects two adjacent circuits, allowing sections of those circuits to be temporarily powered by each other in the event of an outage or emergency, NYSEG officials said.
“These upgrades are essential to minimizing the duration of outages and are intended to reduce the number of outages for our customers in the area,” said Drew Canfield, NYSEG distribution line project manager. “The bond line provides a redundant power source to temporarily restore power to sections of any circuit depending on the location of damage, which was not available before.”
The new connection line will also be located closer to roads, allowing for better access and faster repair and restoration times by crews, Canfield said.
The company is also installing new remotely operated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) devices, allowing NYSEG to remotely switch which circuit is powering key line segments in the area and will help isolate damaged segments, reducing the number of customers and companies affected.
Erin Town Supervisor Dawn Burlew Schmidt said power outages “happen frequently” in the town.
“Living in a rural area shouldn’t mean residents lose power when the wind blows, so this improvement is very well received by our city’s residents,” said Burlew Schmidt.
The infrastructure The Southern Tier bridge replacements will use panels from Tappan Zee. See work plans.
Around 340 new poles will also be installed in the area, in addition to new wires. NYSEG is asking motorists to use caution when driving in work zones.
The upgrade project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
“It’s good to see what NYSEG is doing to improve service,” said Van Etten Town Supervisor George Keturi. “Just be patient. It won’t take long.”
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This article originally appeared in the Elmira Star-Gazette: NYSEG to upgrade systems in Chemung County towns of Erin and Van Etten
