Dear Neighbor,
On behalf of National Grid, I am writing today to inform you about an upcoming proposed reliability Project known as the River Valley Reliability Project along the existing transmission line corridor near your property. This proposed Project is currently in the planning and design phases with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in 2026 and end in 2030. The proposed Project will address the need for improved reliability as National Grid works to improve our infrastructure through upgrades of the existing W149 Transmission Line near your property
The proposed Project originates at the Bellows Falls Switchyard in Rockingham, VT and ends at the Wilder Switchyard in Hartford, VT. In New Hampshire, the line traverses the existing right-of-way (ROW) between Walpole and Lebanon including the communities of Walpole, Charlestown, Claremont, Cornish, Plainfield, and Lebanon. A map of the project can be found on the reverse.
Many of the current performance issues on the W149 Line are due to tree contacts, making vegetation management and tree removal necessary within the ROW. This Project plans to realign the structures further away from the tree line, where it is possible, to minimize service interruptions due to tree contacts. The goal of these upgrades is to increase the reliability of the transmission line.
Over the next several months, we expect various Project team members and contractors to continue accessing the ROW during this preliminary engineering phase to gather additional information needed for proper planning, evaluation, and vegetation management.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve this critical infrastructure in your community. Please know that our Project team is committed to actively working with you, local officials, businesses, and all residents to maintain an open dialogue throughout this Project. We look forward to providing more detailed information on Project timelines as those are finalized. We encourage you to sign up for our newsletter at https://www.rivervalleyreliabilityproject.com/.
If you have any questions or concerns about the activity associated with this Project, please contact us at (833)-874-6988 or by email to outreach@rivervalleyreliabilityproject.com. If you are interested in receiving future electronic updates with regards to this Project, please sign up on our website.
