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Substation will secure power needs for the city's future

Date: 4/26/2013

By G. Michael Dobbs

news@thereminder.com

CHICOPEE — A new multi-million electrical substation will help ensure the city's electrical needs as it goes into the future, according to state officials who gathered for its groundbreaking on April 19.

Mayor Michael Bissonnette said the substation is "the culmination of a steps to modernize and stabilize the electrical system in Chicopee."

Jeffrey Cady, the general manager of Chicopee Electric Light (CEL), called the substation a "major milestone" of the rebuilding effort that begun in 1991. He added the substation should help CEL meet the needs of the city for the next 40 years.

He explained this substation would serve the northern part of the city. The location off Memorial Drive was selected because it is the site of a former substation and its proximity to the customers.

The substation will replace one on Prospect Street that is at more than 90 percent of its designed capacity. The area serves by the new sub-station includes memorial drive, Westover Air Park North, Westover Air Park West, Westover Air Reserve Base and the proposed Westover Air Park South, an industrial park of almost 800,000 square-feet of building space.

Because it is in a residential area, Cady added the location would be landscaped with a decorative stonewall, iron gates and other elements.

Cady said work will begin shortly on the location and would take seven months to complete.

The cost of the substation will be about $6.5 million.