CT Regulators Establish Process to Address 'Compromised' Utility Poles

CONNECTICUT — The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority Wednesday issued a final decision establishing a standardized process to identify and address structurally compromised utility poles.

The final decision in Docket No. 21-11-05 requires "pole custodians" and "entities with attachments (and licenses) on the pole" to implement and comply with a new "structurally compromised pole process."

The approach will replace and standardize internal procedures currently used by the utilities, PURA officials said.

Under the Structurally Compromised Pole Process, PURA is directing utilities to:

• Comply with the new process after receiving notice either directly from a customer or through PURA's Office of Education, Outreach, & Enforcement regarding a potentially structurally compromised pole
• Inspect the potentially compromised pole within 48 hours after being notified
• Remove a pole that the pole custodian representative determines is structurally compromised within 10 days of the initial notification
• Provide the Office of Consumer Counsel access to internal reporting systems on or before Aug. 8.

PURA announced that the utilities will be subject to "financial consequences" if a pole identified through the new process subsequently fails, absent an "intervening event" like a storm storm, if the pole custodian asserted that the pole was safe and not in need of replacement. Financial consequences may include the prohibition of recovering expenses associated with the pole failure and replacement in a future rate proceeding and the imposition of civil penalties.

Last year into part of this year, "pole custodians," including Eversource, United Illuminating, Frontier Communications, and Verizon, replaced more than 580 poles that were deteriorated, unsafe, or in immediate danger of falling.

PURA has "broad statutory powers" with respect to approximately 900,000 utility pole structures across the state.

"Utility poles are a critical asset not just for the delivery of safe and reliable electric service, but are increasingly important to the provision of competitive and affordable wireline and wireless telecommunications and cable services too," PURA Chairman Marissa P. Gillett said. "That is why PURA is accelerating its multi-pronged approach to addressing pole integrity and pole access issues in this state – to ensure the safety of our communities and a standardized approach statewide."

PURA expanded its investigations into the management of utility pole assets after receiving complaints in November 2021 that raised concerns about potentially structurally compromised poles in Simsbury and Avon.

After reviewing the complaints, EOE requested the Authority investigate whether the poles pose a danger to public safety, and to establish a standardized process by which pole custodians either verify that broken or otherwise damaged poles do not pose a threat to public safety or remove the poles on an expedited basis.

In recent years, PURA has initiated several proceedings that address pole issues generally.