March 22, 2016 -- Providence, R.I. - Work on a key component in the reliable
delivery of electricity to downtown Providence and the future of the I-195
Redevelopment Project is now underway. National Grid has broken ground on a new
electric substation to replace the existing South Street substation, which dates
back to the 1920’s. Construction of the new facility, which will be located on
National Grid property off Eddy St. near the existing substation and adjacent to the
South Street Landing Project, is expected to be completed late in 2017.
“We see this project as being essential to the on-going revitalization
of the city of Providence,” said Timothy F. Horan, president of National
Grid, Rhode Island. “This facility will meet the electric demands of a
major portion of the city for the immediate future and beyond. It’s an
integral part of Connect21, National Grid’s program to build an electric
distribution system that meets the needs of the 21st century.”
The existing 115,000 volt substation and its Franklin Square
counterpart, just a short distance away, power the Providence Hurricane
Barrier, the main campus of Brown University, Women & Infants
Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center, the
Veterans Administration Hospital as well as the surrounding areas. A
five-year study completed by the company in 2014 identified the new
substation as being critical for the continued safe and reliable
delivery of electricity to these customers and much of the city.
The plans call for construction of a building to house the substation
along with outdoor switching equipment. The facility will be located
behind the South Street Landing parking garage which is currently under
construction and will be adjacent to the Providence River. National Grid
is providing land for a 20-foot wide public walkway along the river in
the proposal, which was approved by the Providence Downtown Design
Review Committee and the RI Coastal Resource Management Council.
Once work is concluded on the new substation, power now coming to the
old South Street substation will be switched to the new sub. That will
be followed by the demolition of the existing substation, with the
entire project to be completed in 2019.
In addition to supporting National Grid’s current Providence customers,
the substation is an essential element to the growth of the I-195
Redevelopment Project. The new equipment and upgraded power lines
feeding the station will more than meet the anticipated growth in
electric demand brought on by commercial and residential development in
the area. In fact, looking forward to this development, in 2014
National Grid installed underground electric and natural gas
infrastructure that will propel development.
The construction plan calls for the undergrounding of 1,400 feet of
transmission line and the removal of structures supporting them. The
undergrounding and walkway construction are being funded by the
developer of South Street Landing.
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery
company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its
networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor
of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that
deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain. Through its U.S. Connect21
strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to
support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient
energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities' long-term economic and
environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV:
Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization). For more
information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, or our Connecting
website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on You Tube, Like us on
Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
New facility needed for system reliability and to power Rt. I-195 development
