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

Upgrades to the Vestal 623 Distribution Line will strengthen the system and enhance reliability for customers

BINGHAMTON, NY — February 24, 2021 — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) recently began construction on a project to upgrade the electric distribution system on the company’s Vestal 623 circuit which delivers power to customers’ homes and businesses. The project will bring enhanced reliability to 1,711 customers directly served by the Vestal 623 circuit as well as additional customers on connected circuits, benefitting more than 5,500 customers in total. This project is part of the company’s Resiliency Program which proactively hardens electric infrastructure to continue providing safe and reliable service to customers.

“NYSEG is committed to making investments that improve the reliability of service for our customers,” said Andy Gumkowski, Manager of Resiliency Field Projects at NYSEG. “Once completed, these upgrades will strengthen the system against harsher more unpredictable weather and better support the local communities we serve.”

The primary goals of the project are to make the grid more reliable and shorten the duration of outages should they occur. This will be achieved by the installation of more than six miles of distribution line, replacement of 230 utility poles, some more than 75 years old, and installation of seven new SCADA switches. SCADA switches provide NYSEG with the ability to temporarily switch which circuit is powering a customer’s home or business. That will result in quicker restoration times for customers when outages occur. 

This project creates a new connection between the Vestal 623 circuit and adjacent circuits, providing these three circuits alternative power source to allow for quicker restoration times for customers when outages do occur.
 
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 mid-January and is scheduled to be completed in August 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 advises customers that temporary and minor traffic delays may occur during the project period. The company also asks that motorist use extra caution when near crews and work zones. Crews will be working in the areas of Anderson Road, Echo Road, Foster Road, Glenwood Road, Jones Road, Juneberry Road, NYS Rt. 26, Rita Road, Sunset Ave, West Hill Road.

“Our NYSEG crews will be seen working throughout the Vestal area during the next few months,” said Gumkowski. “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.