The Connecticut Light and Power Company
P.O. Box 270
Hartford, CT 06141-0270
(860) 947-2000

www.cl-p.com

News Release

Contacts: Frank Poirot, CL&P Ed Dumas, LIPA
Office: (860) 665-3409 (516) 719-9838

CL&P, LIPA Activate Replacement Cables in Long Island Sound
Helps meet reliability needs in Connecticut and New York

BERLIN, Connecticut, July 30, 2008 – The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P), part of the Northeast Utilities System (NYSE: NU), and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) today announced that the Long Island replacement cables between Connecticut and New York have been energized ahead of the original fall schedule, improving regional reliability for electric customers this summer.

The companies replaced seven fluid-filled transmission cables between Norwalk, Connecticut, and Northport, New York, with three new solid-core 138-kilovolt cables – improving reliability of electric service to both states and reducing environmental impacts resulting from damage of the existing cables. The $129 million replacement cables carry up to 300 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to meet the electricity demands of about 300,000 average-sized homes.

Recently, LIPA officials received temporary approval from the State of New York Public Service Commission to energize the Northport-Norwalk cables. Final burial in New York waters is scheduled to be completed in September.

The original underwater cables had been in service since 1969 and had been damaged over the years from fishing vessels, working barges and ship anchors. In 2002, co-owners CL&P and LIPA formally proposed replacing the cables with new, advanced technology. The new cables have a solid, inert core and will be completely buried under the seabed. The upgraded cables and the innovative method of installation, using an underwater jet plow system, make them more secure from damage by ship traffic and anchors.

“I am extremely pleased that the Long Island replacement cables are now energized, improving reliability for electric customers in Connecticut and New York,” said Charles W. Shivery, NU chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The Long Island Replacement Cable project is an example of how new technology can help enhance reliability for the region in an environmentally friendly way.”

“Long Island Sound enters a new era with the replacement cables,” said Kevin S. Law, LIPA president and chief executive officer. “The replacement cables provide LIPA with the opportunity to continue to meet customer needs while reducing environmental impacts. This project has far-reaching long-term benefits not only for customers, but to the environment of both New York and Connecticut.”

In energizing the project ahead of schedule for the summer peak load period, CL&P and LIPA officials acknowledged the extraordinary teamwork, collaboration and cooperation from both companies, principal contractor Nexans and its chief subcontractor Durocher Marine, as well as from various federal, Connecticut and New York State agencies such as the Connecticut Siting Council, Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, New York Public Service Commission, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and from the city of Norwalk, Connecticut, and the town of Huntington, New York.

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The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) has been part of everyday life in Connecticut for more than 100 years, providing safe and reliable electric service to homes, neighborhoods and businesses. With more than 1.1 million customers in 149 cities and towns, CL&P is an active member in the communities it serves, offering programs in energy conservation, economic development and environmental education. CL&P is part of the Northeast Utilities System (NYSE: NU). For more information, please visit www.cl-p.com.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered.


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