Eversource Continues Aerial Power Line Inspections in Woodbury and Middlebury

Utility company Eversource is is continuing to conduct aerial inspections of its high-voltage electric equipment and lines in Connecticut well into next week, officials announced.

The work requires helicopters to fly low over transmission lines to detect any potential equipment issues before system reliability is impacted. Eversource stresses that this annual inspection "is an important part of the company’s ongoing commitment to providing reliable energy to customers," according to officials.

“The helicopter inspections of our transmission lines are a crucial and effective part of our commitment to reducing the frequency and duration of power outages,” said Steve Gilkey, Vice President of Electric Field Operations at Eversource in Connecticut, in a statement. “Over a million customers in Connecticut depend on us for their electric service and that’s why we’re always working proactively to keep the system operating safely and reliably.”

Weather-permitting, the aerial inspections will continue through December 15, and will take place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., covering the following Connecticut cities and towns:

Andover, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethany, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Bozrah, Branford, Bristol, Brookfield, Brooklyn, Canton, Chaplin, Cheshire, Chester, Columbia, Coventry, Danbury, Darien, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hartford, East Haven, East Lyme, East Windsor, Ellington, Essex, Farmington, Franklin, Glastonbury, Granby, Greenwich, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Hampton, Hartford, Harwinton, Hebron, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Litchfield, Lyme, Manchester, Mansfield, Meriden, Middlebury, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, Monroe, Montville, Naugatuck, New Hartford, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, North Branford, North Stonington, Norwalk, Old Saybrook, Orange, Oxford, Plymouth, Pomfret, Portland, Putnam, Redding, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, Salisbury, Shelton, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Stamford, Suffield, Thomaston, Thompson, Wallingford, Washington, Waterbury, Waterford, Watertown, Westport, Wethersfield, Wilton, Windham, Windsor, Wolcott, Woodbridge and Woodbury.

The region’s transmission system is the backbone of the electric grid. Overhead inspections of transmission lines and equipment – often located upwards of 100 feet in the air – help transmission planners detect potential problems in advance, allowing the company to schedule necessary maintenance before reliability issues arise.

DESCRIPTION OF AIRCRAFT: Blue & silver helicopter, tail # N1431W, and blue & white helicopter, tail # N411DD