National Grid Meets With Local Officials Over Power OutagesBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
01:02AM / Thursday, July 31, 2014 | |
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Steps Taken by National Grid
• Retained a consultant to analyze lightning protection
• Investigating the quality and stability of all breakers
• Evaluating the infrastructure at the Adams facility, most specifically as it relates to downtime
• Replaced a large transformer
• Control center upgrades are being put in place that are designed to reduce downtime
• Looking at ways to improve communication at the inception of, and throughout, an interruption
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Above, a transformer at the Adams substation at the power outage on July 8. Several power interruptions have occurred over the last few months, raising concerns from public officials. Some 18,000 people were out of power during two of the events and schools were closed because of a transformer fire in May. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayor Richard Alcombright said he was reassured about the area's electrical service after a meeting this week with National Grid officials.
"They understand that we weren't happy," he said Wednesday. "I think the overall tenor is she reassured us they were aware of our concerns."
The meeting with Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, came after several power outages that affected large parts of North County.
The transformer fire at the Adams substation in May was followed by incidents two days in a row July.
Alcombright said Williamstown Town Manager Peter Fohlin, Adams Town Administrator Jonathan Butler, Florida Town Administrator Christine Dobbert, public safety officials and representatives from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts met with Reed and her senior staff.
"There seemed to be some sense in the community that the Adams substation was outdated and old," said Alcombright, but National Grid officials said their equipment was as good as any in the state.
"We constantly invest in our infrastructure to offer customers the safest, most reliable electric service possible," said Reed in a statement. "National Grid knows communities depend on the power we provide, and we take outages like these very seriously: We've repaired and replaced equipment in our Adams substation and our system is now operating normally."
The utility was continuing to test the equipment and breakers at the substation, the group was told.
The mayor said local officials thought the National Grid team as "extremely accessible and responsive."
There was more listening than talking, he said, adding that the having the regional president there demonstrated North County's concerns were being addressed.
"We don't live in a perfect world and we understand that," he said.
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