Committee forwards Eversource easement resolution pending outreach materials; project will replace 1974 underground transmission cables

The Hartford City Public Works, Parks, Recreation and Environmental Committee voted to forward a mayoral resolution authorizing Eversource to obtain easements on city property for a citywide project to replace aging underground transmission lines. The committee’s favorable recommendation is conditioned on Eversource providing copies of resident mailers and the bilingual survey materials requested by council members.

Eversource representatives said the project replaces two 115 kV underground lines installed in 1974 that use high‑pressure fluid‑filled cable no longer produced by manufacturers. Jonathan Frigno, Eversource government affairs, told the committee: “These lines that are currently underground were installed back in the early 1970s, and they are fluid filled basically an oil filled transmission line. This sort of line is coming out of production.” The new cable type will be XLPE — a solid insulation technology without fluid-filled components.

Scope and schedule: Eversource said work is expected to start late this summer and continue through 2026 for initial line installations, then decommissioning and area restoration. Construction is phased: vault (manhole) installation serves as anchors, followed by duct-bank installation, conductor pulls, splicing and final repaving. Chris Contreneg, project manager, described typical vault dimensions and installation: “They’re about 22 feet long, 7 feet wide and 7 feet high, and they’re buried upwards of 15 feet down below ground.” Cable trenches for the runs will generally be about 3–5 feet wide, with temporary patches and phased repaving included in specifications.

Routing and community impacts: The project will replace two lines (identified by Eversource as 1704 and 1722) that traverse many neighborhoods. Eversource said routing adjustments were made to minimize impacts to Colt Park; constraints such as suspended lines and large gas mains near Hamilton Bridge required ‘doglegs’ and a micro‑tunneling approach to cross the south branch of the Park River. The company said it is coordinating with DPW, police, fire, the parking authority, the Board of Education and affected NRZs, and may request night work on high‑traffic state roads to limit disruption.

Outreach: Eversource’s outreach team described bilingual engagement: introductory letters (they said these were mailed last October), door‑to‑door canvassing, popup community events (including an outreach event at the Hartford Yard Goats), a bilingual project website and a hotline. The company stated it will provide one‑month advance door‑to‑door notice before construction starts in a given block. Council members pressed for copies of mailers, Spanish translations and the survey used for outreach; Eversource agreed to provide those materials to committee counsel prior to the full-council vote.

Committee action: Councilman Gail moved to send the resolution to the full council with a favorable recommendation, conditioned on receiving the requested outreach materials; the motion was seconded by Council President Shirley Surgeon. The committee recorded multiple “ayes” and the chair announced that the ayes have it; the committee directed that the mailers and survey be provided before the full council considers the resolution, which was scheduled for the August 12 full‑council meeting.

What remains outstanding: Council members requested (1) a breakdown of how much load the relevant substations distribute to Hartford versus adjacent towns; (2) confirmation of exact construction start dates by neighborhood; and (3) copies of the English and Spanish mailers and survey used for outreach. Eversource agreed to provide the distribution data and the outreach materials on request.

Next steps: The resolution will be submitted to the full Hartford City Council with the committee’s favorable recommendation pending the requested documentation.