Category Archives: Utilities

From: communityupdates <community.update@eversource.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 14, 2021 at 4:59 PM
Subject: Eversource Storm Update- Southboro EOC- Level 4 ERP Declaration 2/15
To:

Good evening, 

As you know, Eversource is preparing to respond to a significant storm expected to impact Massachusetts Monday evening into Tuesday morning. Forecasts are calling for high winds, and heavy snow, rain and ice. These are damaging winds that down trees and poles, block roads and cause significant power outages. In addition, these icy conditions will lead to hazardous driving conditions.

Based on the latest forecast, Eversource will be declaring a Level 4 Emergency Response Plan (ERP) on Monday, Feb. 15, with first liaison shift beginning at 6pm. The Liaison schedule will be sent in a follow up email on Monday (2/15) morning.

We are preparing for: 

·                     Up to 1,800 damage locations. 

·                     As many as 70,000 customers experiencing an outage at peak.

·                     A multi-day event, with restoration activities taking 24-48 hours after the storm passes. 

When and where it is safe for our crews to work, we will be addressing the priorities embedded in our ERP:  

·                     The first 24 hours our focus will be on FPS1 Life Safety police and fire calls, E-911 calls, life-threatening situations and damage assessment.  

·                     Our top priorities are critical facilities, particularly hospitals and healthcare facilities; blocked roads; and circuit backbones and lateral feeders enabling us to restore the largest number of customers first. 

As a reminder, our liaison organization will be functioning remotely during this pandemic and will be available on their mobile phones and by email. We have proactively communicated with all our community liaisons and armed each with the tools they need to successfully stay in touch with you.  

We remain committed to providing you with the latest information to ensure you have constant communication with our team throughout the duration of the event. Your dedicated liaison will be contacting you to exchange their contact information with you.  

Thank you for all you do for our communities.    

Sincerely,    

Your Eversource MA Liaison Organization 

Email from Eversource about its preparatons for the snowstorm –

From: communityupdates
Date: Sun, Jan 31, 2021 at 1:44 PM
Subject: Eversource Storm Update – January 31, 2021
To:

Good Afternoon, 

As you know, Eversource is preparing to respond to a significant storm expected to impact Massachusetts on Monday afternoon. Forecasts are calling for rain, snow and heavy winds across our entire service territory. These are damaging winds that down trees and poles, block roads and cause significant power outages.  

Based on the latest forecast, Eversource will be declaring a Level 4 Emergency Response Plan (ERP) on Monday, Feb. 1.  The first liaison shift will begin at 6pm, and schedules will be provided tomorrow. 

As a result, we are preparing for: 

·                     Up to 1,800 damage locations. 

·                     As many as 70,000 customers experiencing an outage.

·                     A multi-day event, with restoration activities taking 1 to 2 days after the storm passes. 

·                     This storm will have a regional affect, impacting the availability of some contract and mutual aid crews. 

When and where it is safe for our crews to work, we will be addressing the priorities embedded in our ERP:  

·                     The first 24 hours our focus will be on FPS1 Life Safety police and fire calls, E-911 calls, life-threatening situations and damage assessment.  

·                     Our top priorities are critical facilities, particularly hospitals and healthcare facilities; blocked roads; and circuit backbones and lateral feeders enabling us to restore the largest number of customers first. 

As a reminder, our liaison organization will be functioning remotely during this pandemic and will be available on their mobile phones and by email. We have proactively communicated with all our community liaisons and armed each with the tools they need to successfully stay in touch with you.  

We remain committed to providing you with the latest information to ensure you have constant communication with our team throughout the duration of the event. Your dedicated liaison will be contacting you to exchange their contact information with you.  

Thank you for all you do for our communities.    

Sincerely,    

Your Eversource MA Liaison Organization 

From: communityupdates <community.update@eversource.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 22, 2020 at 2:56 PM
Subject: Eversource Storm Update- Southboro EOC- December 22nd, 2020
To:

Good afternoon,

Due to the forecast that calls for heavy rain and elevated wind gusts, Eversource will be declaring a Level 3 ERP on Thursday, December 24^th. Please remember, safety to our crews is of the utmost importance. With expected wind gusts to be over 70mph, we cannot begin to assess damage and make repairs until the weather is safe for our crews.

A follow up email will be sent tomorrow afternoon with schedules of your dedicated Community Liaisons.

In the meantime, please continue to communicate with your Blue Sky Community Relations Specialist with any questions.

-MA Liaison Team

Emails from Town Administrator Kristine Trierweiler and Representative Denise Garlick this morning pushing for improvements to the electrical lines, given seven power outages in the last seven storms in the Main Street and Causeway Street areas, and an initial report –

I met with Eversource this AM, they have identified several issues including engineering and vegetation management. I have asked them to summarize the issues in a memo to me that I will share with the Board as soon as I have it. The engineering design change won’t happen until the first quarter of 2021, Chief Carrico and I requested that be moved up based on the past seven storm outages. I will update you as soon as I receive the memo from Eversource. 

KT

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Garlick, Denise – Rep. (HOU) <Denise.Garlick@mahouse.gov>
Date: Wed, Dec 16, 2020 at 10:36 AM
Subject: Concerns About Medfield Power Outages and Tree Maintenance

The Office of State Representative Denise C. Garlick 

Vice Chair, House Committee on Ways and Means
State House | Boston, MA 02133 

Phone: (617) 722-2380 | Fax: (617) 722-2847 

E-mail: Denise.Garlick@mahouse.gov 

December 16, 2020 

Mr. Jared Blandino  

Community Relations and Economic 

Development Specialist 

Eversource 

Dear Jared, 

As the State Delegation representing the town of Medfield, we are writing to express serious concerns about frequent power outages in Medfield as well as a lack of tree maintenance near power lines.  

We are very worried that the Causeway/Main Street section of town has lost power in the last 7 out of 7 storms.  We understand that in cases of major storms, power outages are inevitable, but to lose power during every single storm is unacceptable to the residents, business owners, town leaders, and to us.  The timing could not be worse as so many are now home working remotely and/or have children and teenagers home trying to learn remotely.  Reliable residential power is essential now more than ever. 

We are also concerned over a lack of tree maintenance near power lines.  There are branches and limbs hanging over and on wires which we believe has contributed to power outages in other neighborhoods over the past several months.  This is a significant concern as we head into the winter months where heavy snow can bring those branches down and the power lines with it. 

By December 20^th, can you please send us Eversource’s Tree Maintenance Plan for Medfield?  We would like to see that there is an adequate plan in place to trim branches and limbs before we start to feel the full impact of a New England winter.  Also, can you provide us with plans for resolving the issue that is causing the power outages in the Causeway/Main Street section of town?   We do not want our constituents to face any more time without power as the temperatures begin to drop. 

Any correspondence can be directed to Representative Garlick at denise.garlick@mahouse.gov, and it will be shared with the entire delegation.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation. 

Sincerely, 

Representative Denise Garlick 

Representative Shawn C. Dooley 

Senator Paul R. Feeney 

Cc:  Kristine Trierweiler, Town of Medfield 

TODAY – Email from Chief Carrico –

As of 0800 hrs this morning all services have been restored to Medfield.

We do have a tree on wires at Noon Hill Road and the road is shut down at the gun club.  1 Hour ETA for tree crew.

William C. Carrico II

Fire Chief/EMD

Medfield Fire

112 North Street

Medfield, MA 02052

***********************************************

YESTERDAY – text from Kristine Trierweiler 

395 RESIDENTS WITHOUT POWER, 7.9% OF TOWN.

Eversource emailed update shared by Mike Sullivan this AM –

Eversource Community Update – Tuesday, October 31, 2017 – 9:30 AM Southboro/Walpole/Waltham EOC – Level 3 ERP

Good Morning,

Eversource crews have made progress and power has been restored to more than 175,000 Massachusetts customers. There are currently less than 15,000 customers without power in Eastern Massachusetts.  We anticipate having power restored in the Metro West region of the state, served by our Walpole, Waltham and Southborough service centers, substantially complete by 6 p.m. today.

Restoration on Cape Cod and in the Plymouth and South Shore areas, served by Plymouth, New Bedford and Yarmouth, is expected to be substantially complete by midnight tonight.  It is important to note that crews will work continuously and will be restoring customers throughout the day.

Best regards.

I was just checking on the poles on Green Street, and there are new substantially larger poles now installed, but the old poles located in the paved surface are still there and they still have wires on them.  This email update from Mike Sullivan this afternoon –

I went down Green Street this afternoon and there were two Verizon crews working there,One was down by Bullards and the other was beyond Lowell Mason Road. I also heard from Carl Aiello,  Columbia Gas of MA, and he old me that the gas main replacement on South Street near the High School was still scheduled for late spring or summer. At the request of the Police and School Departments, Columbia Gas agreed that the work should not be started until school is out. Mike

I noticed a legal ad in the paper that Verizon is seeking permission to install a new antennae in town, on the existing tower on Rte. 27 was my understanding.  I keep hearing complaints about Verizon’s lack of coverage in town, so this should make things better.

I only wish Verizon had held off for a few months so as to go onto the new MSH water tower, which will be substantially higher and give better service – plus even better, the town would get the rental.