Eversource is Breaking Ground with New Clean Air Breaker

In partnership with 西门子能源 , we’ve “flipped the switch” to energize the nation’s first 115kV clean air breaker at our Tunnel Substation right here in Preston, Connecticut.

“This is an important and exciting milestone in our plan to achieve our short- and long-term carbon neutrality goals,” said Asim Fazlagic , our vice president for Substation and Transmission Line Engineering.

A breaker is critical substation equipment that’s used to protect and control the flow of electricity buzzing along our electric system so that it delivers power safely and reliably to our customers. Our new clean air breaker, manufactured by Siemens Energy, operates using purified oxygen instead of SF6, a greenhouse gas.

This innovative project supports one of the five key areas that will help Eversource to achieve our industry-leading goal of being carbon neutral in our operations by 2030—replacing the use of SF6 in our system to reduce our carbon emissions. Our goal is to energize several more of these devices each year, which will support Connecticut’s goal of being powered by 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040.

“The Siemens Energy Blue products’ design is a combination of more than 150 years of energy industry experience and is a reflection of our commitment to investing in products and solutions that help create carbon neutral grids,” said Muhammad Sohail , Head of Switchgear Americas at Siemens Energy.?

These clean energy upgrades are one of several transmission projects under way to strengthen and modernize our electric system in Eastern Connecticut so that our customers have the reliable power they depend on—today and in the future.