UI TRANSMISSION LINE TOWN HALL MEETING

UI TRANSMISSION LINE TOWN HALL MEETING
Wednesday, October 4th at 6 PM
Location Change To: Fairfield Warde High School
 
Dear Fairfielders,

Our community is rightfully concerned about UI's transmission line proposal that is currently before the State Siting Council. I asked UI to hold a Town Hall meeting for our community tomorrow evening where UI will present their plan, and then take questions from our residents. 

I also want to clarify some misinformation that has been spreading in the community. There is a process underway. 

United Illuminating is a public utility company, regulated by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), a state regulatory agency. The State Siting Council has jurisdiction over the siting of electric transmission lines and electric substations. In other words, the State Siting Council is the authority that must approve UI's project. 

In August, I became aware the Town was able to apply to be an intervenor. Upon learning this information I retained outside legal counsel for the town who applied for and received official intervenor status joining members of our community who have also applied for intervenor status. 
 
As I shared in prior newsletters, intervenor status allows the Town to provide expert testimony, and in essence fight against this proposal. We have met with the attorneys for the other intervenors representing interested neighbors and businesses in town, and we are working together. We also applied for and were granted an additional hearing before the State Siting Council which will take place in November. 

I have walked some of the areas with neighbors to see the real impact on their property and have been in constant communication with the other intervenors. 

Last week members of the state delegation and I met with UI's President Frank Reynolds as well as their project team. UI has agreed to work with the Town to identify problematic areas in UI's proposal. 
 
Representative Leeper and Senator Hwang offered to assist me, intervening parties and our legal counsel to create a list of priority areas that UI agreed to discuss with us further.  It is our hope that working together, we will be able to identify and implement reasonable and prudent alternatives. 

Below is the flyer to the town hall meeting, background information, contact information, prior communication, and additional resources on the project. 

As always, I’m happy to answer any questions you have either by email or over the phone. 
Sincerely,




First Selectwoman Brenda L. Kupchick
 
 
UI PROJECT PAGE
The next Evidentiary Hearing of the State Siting Council will be on Oct. 17th at 2:00 p.m. You can find details about the hearing and how to join via Zoom, here.

The next meeting following that will be on November 17th.
EMAIL QUESTIONS TO UI
EMAIL SITING COUNCIL
PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION FROM THE TOWN:
DECEMBER 20, 2022
Post to the Town Website Homepage - Public Informational Mtg: UI Railroad Transmission Line Rebuild Project

On Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 7 pm, the United Illuminating Company (UI) is holding a public informational meeting at the Main Library on the Old Post Road for property owners, businesses, and residents south of the Metro North Railroad from Sasco Brook to Ash Creek to give a presentation on its railroad transmission line rebuild project. The Public and all interested parties are invited to attend to ask questions or comment on the proposed Project.

UI is proposing to remove its existing 115-kV lines and infrastructure from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT) railroad catenary structures that span the Metro North (MNR) tracks in both Fairfield and Bridgeport.  Along approximately 7.3 miles of the MNR tracks, the 115-kV lines will be removed from about 100 catenary structures and rebuilt on single or double-circuit monopoles, which will be located within or near the CT DOT-owned railroad corridor.

In Fairfield, the new monopoles will be located south of the MNR tracks; in Bridgeport, the new monopoles will be positioned north or south of the tracks, depending on location relative to the existing built environment or alignment into UI facilities. The Project will also provide an upgrade to connections at four UI substations, all located in Bridgeport. These transmission line upgrades will help maintain system reliability, promote climate resiliency, preserve safety within and adjacent to the transmission lines and provide technological enhancements to legacy system equipment.  For more information, please click here.

WHO: Property owners, businesses, and residents south of the Metro North Railroad from Sasco Brook to Ash Creek
WHAT: UI Public Informational Meeting – Railroad Transmission Line Rebuild Project
WHERE: Fairfield Public Library, Rotary Room, 2nd Floor, 1080 Post Road, Fairfield
WHEN: Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 7:00 – 8:30 PM (Inclement weather date – January 18th – same time and location)

 
JANUARY 9, 2023
Town Facebook Page

JANUARY 20, 2023
UI RAILROAD TRANSMISSION LINE REBUILD PROJECT 
The United Illuminating Company (UI) is proposing to remove UI’s existing 115-kV lines and infrastructure from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT) railroad catenary structures that span the Metro North (MNR) tracks in both Fairfield and Bridgeport. Along approximately 7.3 miles of the MNR tracks, the 115-kV lines will be removed from about 100 catenary structures and rebuilt on single or double-circuit monopoles, which will be located within or near the CT DOT-owned railroad corridor.

In Fairfield, the new monopoles will be located south of the MNR tracks. The project will also provide an upgrade to connections at four UI substations, all located in Bridgeport. These transmission line upgrades will help maintain system reliability, promote climate resiliency, preserve safety within and adjacent to the transmission lines and provide technological enhancements to legacy system equipment. The public and all interested parties were invited to attend a meeting last week to ask questions or comment on the proposed project. Once the application is filed, the Connecticut Siting Council will review and a public comment session will be held. The presentation and handouts from the public meeting are linked below: 

JULY 21, 2023
PUBLIC COMMENT ON UI TRANSMISSION LINE REBUILD PROJECT 
The Connecticut Siting Council is holding a Public Hearing Via Zoom on Tuesday, July 25th at 6:30 pm to receive public comment on UI’s Transmission Line Rebuild 115-kV Project. 

The hearing will be on an application from UI for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for the Railroad Transmission Line 115-kV rebuild project that consists of the relocation and rebuild of UI’s existing 115- kilovolt (kV) electric transmission lines from the railroad catenary structures to new steel monopole structures and related modifications along about 7.3 miles of the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Metro-North Railroad corridor between Sasco Creek in Southport and UI’s Congress Street Substation in Bridgeport.

For a list of residential and non-residential properties that abut the railroad, please see pages 52-86 here. 
 
To learn about the hearing, click here. To learn how you can submit testimony or sign up in advance to speak during the Zoom meeting, or just listen, click here.

As well as the last three newsletters:
AUGUST 31 NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 15 NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 29 NEWSLETTER
 

UI's PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION SAID TO BE MAILED TO PROPERTY ABUTTERS:
  • July 2021 – A letter with the Project Overview, Project contact information and the URL for the Project website (www.UIRailroadTLineUpgrades.com)
  • Jan. 2023 – A large postcard with an invitation to the Virtual Open House at the Project website.
  • Jan. 2023 – A large postcard with and invitation to a Public Informational Meeting at the Fairfield Public Library that was held on January 31, 2023.
  • Feb. 2023 – An insert in your UI bill (unless you have opted-out of printed bills), with Project Information and how to view the Project Application on the Siting Council website.
  • March 2023 – A letter with information about the Project and how to view the Project Application on the Siting Council website.