PSEG met with the Greater Eatons Neck Community and Huntington, Suffolk and NYS representatives on May 4, 2023 to outline their plan of action to resolve the continued power interruptions on Eatons Neck 

Below are the minutes of that meeting: 

1. Background

On Thursday, May 4, a meeting was held at the Firehouse to discuss PSEG solutions to improve the reliability and resilience of electrical power to Eatons Neck

Approximately 35 persons attended the meeting.  One third of the attendees were part of the Eaton’s Neck Community Working Group (ENCWG) which consists of 6 associations and the fire district representing approximately 700 homes and 2,100 residents. One third of the attendees were PSEG managers and one third were elected leaders including Keith Brown (NY Assembly), Mario Mattera (NYS Senator), Stephanie Bontempi (Suffolk County Legislator), Andre Sorrentino (TOH Highway Supervisor), John McCarron (TOH Deputy Supervisor), and Sal Ferro (TOH Councilman) and their selected staff members. 

2. PSEG Actions Already Taken
Matt Otto, Operational Manager for PSEG Western Suffolk, stated PSEG had improved:

(1) The power poles and lines from Bevin Road to the Firehouse.
(a) Installed 17 animal guards
(b) Trimmed trees in five designated “hot spots” or areas where continued tree growth could potentially bring down the power lines
(c) Removed vines in four “hot spot” locations
(d) Replaced 7 poles with ones that are newer and thicker
(e) Installed selected new equipment (details not provided), and
(f) Removed 12 hazardous (old/rotten) trees that were at risk of falling and damaging the power lines
(2) Administrative policies and procedures (given the excessive and incorrect messaging sent to residents (e.g., power will be restored on a rolling 2 hour basis))
(a) Updated and tested new messaging controls
(b) Refreshed training for PSEG customer service teams/operators, and 
(c) Revamped job aids for outbound message processing
 

3. ​PSEG Options Considered and Actions to be Completed in the Near Term

PSEG considered three options to reduce the frequency and duration of outages and increase response time.  Each potential option was evaluated using four criteria - see table below.

 
Option 1- Install a new smart switch near Asharoken Village Hall
Option 2 - Install submarine cable
Option 3 - Install an express underground line (including new smart switch at Bevin)
Description
Remove the ACR feeding area and install and configure a new smart switch 

Although smart switch is hard to obtain, PSEG has had great success installing it in other locations.  New switch provides significantly more “intelligence” /data points for Control Room to determine factors impacting power usage and causes of outages.  Option should reduce outages and enable faster power restoration.  
Run underwater power cable from Duck Island to Cherry Lawn Road and Beach
Run underground line for ~ 1 mile from Bevin Road to North Creek Road.  New line will provide redundancy to existing overhead power line in the “troubled forest” area of EN Road.  Also includes installing (1) a new pad mounted switching gear, (2) a new overhead “smart switch”, and (3) a split fused branch line.  If a power outage happens on the overhead lines, PSEG needs to manually throw a switch to transfer power to the underground line. Buried lines serve as back-up to above ground lines.

The smart switch used at Bevin is identical to the one used that will be installed at VOA Hall and will provide same benefits.   
Cost to implement
~$120K
$10 million +
$1 million
Relative impact on area/residents 
Low – not intrusive; does not require street to be “ripped up,” traffic to be re-routed, or the use of loud/heavy equipment
Very High - given environmental concerns
Low
Relative improvement to power reliability
High
Moderate
High
Timing/ estimated completion date
3 months/July or Aug 2023
6 + years (implemented in phases)
~9 months/Q1 2024
Outcome
Option green lit -  fully approved, permitted, and funded and is in process of implementation

 
Option will not be executed – not cost beneficial
Option green lit. PSEG deems effort a very high priority and activities will be expedited. Funding obtained, survey started, environmental analysis out for bid, procurement found the switch
 

Unrelated to the two specific solutions for EN, PSEG is implementing three other previously planned projects that should improve the reliability of electricity in EN. 

1. Elwood Feeder Project - Three new underground feeder lines will be installed at the Elwood Substation. Two of these 3 new, buried lines (~3 miles in length) will head north toward EN and, therefore, will reduce potential exposure issues for part of the route from the Substation to EN
2. Tree trim - A “full circuit” tree trim is scheduled for EN no later than Q1 2024
3. Storm hardening Actions – Beefier poles, thicker conductors, and new hardware more capable of withstanding harsh weather will be installed in 2024.

My personal sincerest thanks to all at PSC and PSEG for their efforts to date and plan ahead to resolve our continued power issues. 

Best regards,

John J. Ballow
For the Greater Eatons Neck Community