HYANNIS – Eversource has a $496 million plan before the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) that will affect customers through Southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands.
The Eversource Grid Modernization plan marks the largest change in electric infrastructure in more than a century and moves towards an electric future known as the “Smart Grid” which is now created in other states.
“We are now finally taking a hard look at our grid and the state has decided at the time to affirmatively modernize it rather than just allowing it to continue to deliver the power in the exact same way it was doing it 100 years ago,” said Cape Light Compact Power Supply Planner Austin Brandt.
What the DPU decides will affect what customers pay and opportunities for development of energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and greater reliability and stability.
Brandt said that the plan will have many benefits for customers.
“It will decrease the number of outages, decrease the time that the outages are affecting customers and decrease the number of customers that are affected by those outages, so they’re supposed to lay out a plan to protect customers from outages more,” said Brandt.
The Cape Cod Technology Council and the Cape Light Compact are hosting four regional public meetings to learn more about the plan and to take part in discussion.
The purpose of the meetings is to gather input on how customers would like to see a Smart Grid develop on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard.
The Compact will also prepare a survey to solicit input from customers that will shape the Compact’s involvement in the regulatory review of the Eversource plan.
The Upper Cape meeting will take place on September 22 at 7 p.m. at the Mashpee Public Library.
The Mid-Cape meeting will take place on September 20 at 7 p.m. at Dennis-Yarmouth High School.
The Lower Cape meeting will take place on September 24 at 2 p.m. at the Wellfleet Public Library.
The Martha’s Vineyard meeting will take place on October 3 at 3 p.m. at West Tisbury Public Library.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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