BERLIN, Connecticut, July 15, 2009 – Northeast Utilities (NYSE: NU) today notified the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of its intent to file an application through its three electric operating companies requesting matching federal stimulus funds to support the installation of smart grid technology and expanded access to advanced meters for at least 200,000 customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The total cost of the project is estimated to be between $100 million and $150 million.
NU anticipates it will apply to the DOE’s Smart Grid Investment Grant program on or before August 6 for matching funds, available as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to cover eligible expenditures. The application will be made through NU’s three electric operating companies: Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P), Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO) and Public Service of
New Hampshire.
“The states we serve have a long-standing commitment to the environment and energy efficiency, and smart grid technologies can enable us to achieve even greater efficiencies in our use of energy resources,” said Charles W. Shivery, NU’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.
CL&P is already conducting the nation’s largest advanced meter infrastructure pilot involving the testing of different pricing structures to determine if they can influence efficient energy use. WMECO has recently filed plans for a smart grid pilot in Massachusetts in 2010.
NU has also already made significant investments in distribution automation. In Connecticut, approximately
70 percent of the distribution system can now be controlled remotely to aid in outage detection, as well as support the integration of technologies including electric plug-in vehicles and distributed renewable generation.
“We believe that federal funding, combined with our expertise, can help accelerate the modernization of the regional power grid and enable the next generation of energy efficiency solutions,” Shivery said.
Northeast Utilities (NYSE: NU), a Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor’s 500 energy company based in Connecticut, operates New England’s largest energy delivery system. NU is committed to safety, reliability, environmental leadership and stewardship, and expanding energy options for its more than 2 million electricity and natural gas customers. For more information on Northeast Utilities and its subsidiaries, visit the NU family of Web sites at www.nu.com.
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