PSEG Long Island Energizes New Transmission Line In Nassau

Reliability-enhancing Western Nassau Transmission Project completed on time and under budget

PSEG Long Island today announced it has completed construction of a new 7.3-mile underground transmission line that increases the reliability and resiliency of the electric system in western Nassau County. The line, known as the Western Nassau Transmission Project, was put into service in December 2020, meeting regulatory deadlines and coming in significantly under budget.

Transmission lines are the backbone of the grid, carrying high-voltage electricity from power plants to substations, where transformers convert it to low-voltage power that can be sent out to neighborhoods via distribution lines. Transmission lines also carry high-voltage power from one substation to another.

“Western Nassau County had two major transmission lines connecting the substations in the area, which were sufficient when initially installed. However, populations have grown, electronic devices are essential to modern life, and energy grid redundancy standards have been adjusted accordingly,” said Peggy Keane, vice president of Construction and Operations Services for PSEG Long Island. “The completion of the Western Nassau Transmission Project adds a third transmission line that provides additional delivery capacity to ensure customers in the area have safe, reliable power and offers additional protection if there is an electrical system impact. I want to thank our customers in Uniondale, West Hempstead, Garden City, Lynbrook, and Malverne for their patience, and I congratulate our team for successfully guiding this complex, vital project through every step of the process.”

First announced in early 2018, plans for the large-scale project were subject to extensive review by the state Public Service Commission, including multiple public information sessions. PSEG Long Island worked closely with stakeholders including local residents, village, town and county leaders, state legislators and the New York State Departments of Public Service and Environmental Conservation to finalize a construction plan that would minimize impacts to neighborhoods, commercial districts, schools, wildlife, and more.

After two stages of state approvals were obtained, PSEG Long Island began construction in December 2019, installing conduits, manholes and cable beneath surface streets before re-paving the roads and restoring curbs along the project route. The underground line was energized on Dec. 9, 2020.

Since 2014, PSEG Long Island’s investments in infrastructure and new maintenance procedures have improved system reliability by 26%. PSEG Long Island is proud to have been recognized by the American Public Power Association as a 'Diamond' Reliable Public Power Provider for providing reliable and safe electric service to Long Island and the Rockaways.