RG&E Begins Reliability Upgrades in Greece

Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) announced on November 29, 2021, that it has begun upgrades to its substation 46 in Greece as part of the company’s commitment to provide safe and reliable service to all customers. The project will completely rebuild the facility to increase its capacity to deliver safe and reliable power to the approximate 6,300 customers served by the substation.

Substations play a crucial role in the electrical transmission and distribution systems. One of its main functions is to lower the voltage of electricity so it can be easily supplied to homes and businesses through distribution lines.

“I am very pleased to have assisted RG&E in securing necessary approvals to facilitate these important upgrades to their system for the benefit of our residents here in the Town of Greece,” said Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich. “Whether it’s working with new businesses to locate here to increase job opportunities, or providing our own high level of quality services to our residents, here in Greece we pride ourselves on creating a climate where approvals for new projects and initiatives such as this are processed in a thorough and timely fashion so our residents can quickly experience the positive impact these opportunities bring.”

The primary goal of the project is to make the grid more reliable by increasing the substation’s capacity. This includes converting the existing 4.1 kilovolt (kV) voltage distribution circuits to 12.5kV circuits by installing two new transformers banks, including foundations and firewalls. This upgrade will decrease stress on the circuits and help reduce the number of outages. The project will also upgrade one of the existing control houses and upgrade substation equipment that will increase the facility’s switching capabilities with adjacent circuits. This will enhance reliability by allowing customers to receive their electricity through another path if the primary circuit requires repairs. The substation rebuild is estimated to be complete and in service by 2025.

“This project is critical to create a more reliable and resilient energy in Greece,” said Larissa Rosario, project manager at RG&E. “We continually evaluate our system to determine where upgrades are necessary. During summer when energy demands are high, the existing transformer banks at station 46 that we plan to replace reached close to peak operating capacity. These upgrades will address this issue to ensure we can meet the growing demand for additional power in the region for years to come.”

The substation 46 upgrade is one off the several local investments RG&E is making in its delivery system to provide additional power to meet growing demand, increase reliability, and accommodate growth and economic development in its service areas. Currently, the company is also upgrading substation 43 in downtown Rochester and plans to upgrade multiple circuits in the Greece area next year as part of the company’s Resiliency Program.

RG&E advises customers that temporary and minor increases in construction-related traffic are expected during the project period.

“We thank our customers in advance for their patience and understanding as construction begins,” Rosario said. “We will work hard to create minimal impact on the surrounding area as we complete this crucial upgrade to our system. Thankfully, the natural vegetation border north of the substation ensures that the private residents on the opposite side of the boundary will be unaffected by both the construction activities and the normal operation of the substation.”

RG&E is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc.

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