Eversource helicopter 3-30-16

Eversource Sending Helicopters Over High-Voltage Electric Lines in Darien, Elsewhere

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This week, Eversource is conducting aerial inspections of vegetation growing near its high-voltage electric lines in Connecticut. 

The aerial inspections began today [Wednesday] and, weather permitting, will continue to April 8.  They will take place from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.

This semiannual inspection is an important part of the company’s ongoing commitment to providing reliable electric service.  The work involves the use of a helicopter flying low over Eversource’s transmission line corridors to check for any encroachment from trees or other vegetation. “The helicopter inspections of our transmission lines are a crucial and effective part of our commitment to reducing the frequency and duration of power outages,” said Steve Driscoll, Vice President of Operation Services. “Well over a million customers in Connecticut depend on us for their electric service and that’s why we’re always working proactively to keep the system operating safely and reliably.”

Editor’s note: This article was slightly adapted from an Eversource announcement. Helicopters were doing the same work for Eversource over Darien back in January.

Helicopter Darien 1-25-16

Low Flying Helicopters Above Darien Are Surveying Electric Transmission Lines

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The Darien Police Department has been getting “hundreds and hundreds” of calls from residents concerned about low-flying helicopters in the past week, says Sgt. Jeremiah Marron, a department spokesman. The choppers are surveying transmission lines with high-resolution cameras, according to a statement released by Eversource, formerly Connecticut Light & Power, and posted on the Internet by Darien Police. The project is “part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the power grid and increase reliability,” the utility said. “Photographs collected during these flights will help build a more detailed record of structures, lines and other electrical equipment which will increase the efficiency of maintaining the electric system in Connecticut,” the statement reads.