NYSEG Circuit Upgrades Enhance Reliability to Thousands of Customers in Vestal Area

Upgrades to the Vestal 623, Fuller Hollow 615 and Castle Gardens 622 distribution lines strengthen the system and enhance reliability for customers

BINGHAMTON, NY — April 11, 2022 — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) today announced completion of a project to upgrade the electric distribution system on the company’s Vestal 623 circuit. The project will bring enhanced reliability to 1,704 residential and business customers in the town of Vestal directly served by the Vestal 623 circuit as well as customers on the Fuller Hollow 615 and Castle Gardens 622 circuits, benefitting more than 5,500 customers in total. This project was part of the company’s Resiliency Program, which proactively hardens electric infrastructure to continue providing safe and reliable service to customers.

“I am very happy about the circuit upgrades and enhanced reliability project within the town of Vestal,” said John Schaffer, Town of Vestal supervisor. “These upgrades will benefit a large number of our residents. Thank you to NYSEG for the job well done to make these improvements. The Town of Vestal is always happy to work with NYSEG.”

The primary goals of the project were to make the grid more reliable and shorten the duration of outages should they occur. Crews installed more than six miles of distribution line, replaced 230 utility poles, and installed seven new SCADA switches and reclosers which enable NYSEG to temporarily switch which circuit is powering a customer’s home or business, resulting in quicker restoration times for customers when outages occur.

“NYSEG is proud to have completed this project to better serve our customers in Vestal,” said Andy Gumkowski, Manager of Resiliency Field Projects at NYSEG. “These upgrades strengthened our system against harsher, more unpredictable weather and better support the Vestal community.” 

This project created a new connection between the Vestal 623 circuit and Fuller Hollow 615 and Castle Gardens 622 circuits, providing these three circuits alternative power source to allow for quicker restoration times if an outage take place.

In certain areas, the project required the use of a hydro-vac truck to excavate areas for new pole settings to prevent interference with neighboring underground utilities. The new poles are wider in diameter, making them stronger and more resilient to wind gusts.

The project began in January 2021. It is one of the several resiliency investments NYSEG is making to reduce the number and duration of outages during extreme weather and to enable an efficient and effective response when outages do occur.

NYSEG is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc.

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About NYSEG: New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. Established in 1852, NYSEG operates approximately 35,000 miles of electric distribution lines and 4,500 miles of electric transmission lines across more than 40% of upstate New York. It also operates more than 8,150 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and 20 miles of gas transmission pipelines. It serves approximately 894,000 electricity customers and 266,000 natural gas customers. For more information, visit nyseg.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $39 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people and has been recognized by Forbes and Just Capital as one of the 2021 JUST 100 companies - a list of America's best corporate citizens - and was ranked number one within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit avangrid.com.

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