Florence, VT – Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO), a statewide electric transmission company owned by Vermont’s 17 local distribution companies and a public benefits corporation, invites our neighbors in the Florence/Pittsford area, and other interested people, to an informational session about a proposed project to upgrade the Florence substation and improve grid reliability. The meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 16 at 5:30 p.m. VELCO project management and community outreach staff will explain the need and the purpose of the proposed project and answer any of your questions.
The meeting is one of several steps leading up to a formal request for a permit to construct the project from the Vermont Public Utility Commission. The Commission requires that VELCO provide 45 days’ notice, including a detailed project description, to local select boards and other officials. This enables community leaders to review and discuss the project’s impacts with residents, and to provide input before formal Commission proceedings begin. VELCO provided the 45-day notice to the Pittsford Select Board and Planning Commission and the Rutland Regional Planning Commission on May 24, 2021.
The Florence substation project as proposed would construct a new substation to the north and adjacent to the existing substation on Whipple Hollow Road. Among the various reliability improvements realized by this investment is improved reliability and maintainability owing to the move from a single-point grid connection (radial) to a multi-point grid connection (ringed) whereby any of the circuit breakers can be opened and isolated for maintenance without interruption of service. In addition, in the event of a fault, the upgraded ring bus configuration will allow a fault to be isolated, while other circuits remain in service.
VELCO plans to formally apply to the Vermont Public Utility Commission for project approval on July 8. Subject to Commission approval, construction will begin in spring of 2022 and be completed by the end of the year.
For more information, please visit www.velco.com/florence. To RSVP to the virtual meeting, please contact slouiselle@velco.com or call 802-353-9346.
