“WMECo works year round delivering safe and reliable service to our customers,” said Bob Coates, Vice President of Electric Field Operations at WMECo. “The upgrade project in Ludlow helps ensure we will continue to be able to provide local residents with a reliable supply of electricity in all types of weather.”

As part of the project, WMECo upgraded its power lines on Cady Street and is close to completing extensive electrical work on about five-and-a-half miles of lines on Rte. 21 (Center St) and more than eight miles on Miller, Chapin and East Street. The company is upgrading existing equipment and also adding new automated switches, which can help isolate the cause of certain outages – reducing the number of customers impacted and resulting in a quicker restoration.

Weather permitting, WMECo anticipates completing this project by the end of August.

In addition to the equipment upgrades, WMECo is investing nearly $400,000 on enhanced tree pruning in Ludlow. The company is pruning trees that are growing into the power lines, as well as removing dead, diseased and dying trees at risk of coming down and interrupting power. WMECo's senior arborist is working closely with Ludlow's tree warden on this project.