VELCO Puts Finishing Touches on Ferry Road Portion of Project
by Ashley Boyd

Over the past few months, Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) has been working on replacing a lower voltage line that dates back to 1913 and constructing a new substation off of Ferry Road in Charlotte. VELCO has titled this project Northwest Vermont Reliability (NRP).
“People were very concerned about the project when it was proposed,” said Tom Dunn, Director of Capital Projects at VELCO. “Citizens wanted to know why it was being done and what kind of impact the construction, which involved energizing a new line to the new Charlotte substation, would have.”
According to Dunn, the work done in Charlotte was more difficult and obtrusive because the line runs underground.
The old line has been replaced with a new 115- thousand-volt line, part of which runs underground. “We’ve had people concerned about the underground construction,” said Tom. “But as concerns and issues came our way, we adjusted accordingly.”
The line runs underground from the transition structure on the north side of Ferry Road in the shape of an ‘S.’ It is under Ferry Road on the south side and along the roadway which leads to the new substation. “This project was very intricate, so every contractor has had to work in this area at one point or another,” said Tim Follensbee II, Environmental Specialist of VELCO.
“One of the more common questions asked about the project was, ‘will it look good?’ Once the resurrection is completed and the next grooming season comes around, things will look better,” says Tim.
VELCO proposed the idea of another overhead line, however the town wanted the line to connect to the substation underground. “Although constructing the line underground was much more invasice and expensive than the overhead line, the board voted for the underground construction,” said Tom. “And once the construction is complete it will be as if we were never here.”
Most of the construction in Charlotte has been completed. Activities left to be done include the clean up of the remaining construction equipment and the planting of trees and bushes. A fence wll be built around the transition structure and a permanent road that leads to the transition structure will be built. The temporary gravel road that currently leads to the transition substation will be replaced with grass in the spring of next year. “We just have some minor clean-up work left,” says Tim Follensbee. “But we always make a check list of what needs to be finished at each site so we don’t forget anything.”
VELCO plans to tear down the old substation. They will complete that part of the project in the winter. “It is much easier to do this type of work when the ground is frozen because there will be little impact on the land,” said Tim.
The goal of the NRP conducted by VELCO is to assure reliability from Vermont’s transmission system. As Vermont’s demand for electric power continues to increase, VELCO has been working on this project in hopes of avoiding any power shortage when it is in high demand. “The line in South Berlin that supplies power to Burlington and the rest of Chittenden County, including Charlotte, will now have the ability to supply a greater amount of power,” said Tom.
“This project will address issues so that if there is ever an outage in Vermont during low line periods, this line and new substation will help meet the electrical needs,” said Tom. VELCO’s goal is to make improvements to the grid of Vermont.
Concerns regarding demand arose when Vermont hit a new all-time high of 1,023 megawatts on August 15, 2002 – approximately a nine-percent increase from 1999’s high of 939 megawatts.
Most of the system was built 30 years ago, and although it was properly maintained, it was in need of an upgrade to assure reliable electricity.
VELCO received the site approval to upgrade the high-voltage transmission system in June 2003 and the public board approval in January 2005. There was a period of design review where VELCO spent time perfecting the construction layouts. “The discussion of the line that travels underground in Charlotte was extremely extensive,” said Tom.
The construction of the NRP began at the beginning of last year and the plan is to have it completed by the end of this year. “After the construction is done, citizens will be able to see the resurrection,” said Tom. “That is the best way to see the impact of the project in it’s entirety.”
VELCO assures that the construction in any town is constantly monitored. Every employee has received safety and environmental training. VELCO has environmental monitors and employees that specifically oversee the construction to assure that it is being done and completed properly. “Construction has a lot of impact.We certainly try to be respectful of people’s interest and try to respond as quickly as possible to any concerns or questions,” said Tom.
This project had an estimated budget of $228 million, the majority of which came from the Regional Grid Operator. The State of Vermont is paying approximately four percent of the cost and the remainder is divided among the electric ratepayers throughout New England. “The costs for the project are pooled throughout New England,” said Tom, “each state pays a share.
VELCO is currently working on sites in the northern part of Shelburne and South Burlington.