With the increase in extreme weather and energy demand,
In New Hampshire, we’re seeing firsthand the impacts of more frequent, unpredictable extreme weather due to the changing climate. Winters have been warmer and wetter, with more rain and less snow. Spring and summer have brought drought and record-breaking stretches of oppressive heat. And more frequent storms wreak havoc with damaging winds throughout the year.
These weather events are more than a mere inconvenience – they negatively impact our economy, our natural and cultural resources, and our quality of life. They damage property and imperil human lives while also threatening our infrastructure and the services we take for granted every day. This is especially true of our electricity. From fallen trees and limbs damaging the electric system to downed lines, floods, and the significantly increased demand for power in times of intense cold and heat, the shifting climate is the most significant threat to electric reliability now and into the future.
Providing safe, reliable power and bolstering a more resilient grid for nearly 550,000 customers requires innovative solutions and cost-effective investments in our infrastructure, which is critical to continued economic development and the success of businesses and families. Eversource works with state and municipal officials, policy makers, and local stakeholders to ensure a smarter, stronger, and more durable electric system. By leveraging the newest technology, we can minimize the frequency and duration of outages. For example, 54% of all customers who experienced outages in 2024 had their power restored in under five minutes, compared to 11% in 2015 — a direct result of the investments we’ve made in the electric system over the past several years.
In short, Eversource is keeping New Hampshire comfortable through an ever-changing climate and evolving energy landscape.
electrical grids need to be stronger and smarter
For example, Eversource has installed thousands of trip savers and smart switches throughout its electrical system. Smart switches, or reclosers, are self-contained devices that can sense when a normal current load is exceeded and regulate fault currents to re-energize the power line, essentially isolating problem areas, allowing operators to remotely reroute power to restore nearby homes and businesses that would have otherwise been affected. Trip savers, or smart fuses, have relay settings that detect faults and try to remain closed (instead of blowing, like a traditional fuse, which causes an outage) when a tree limb or animal comes into contact with the line.
Eversource is committed to cost-effectively advancing innovative solutions that support a diverse mix of energy sources, help enable the interconnection of distributed energy resources like solar that more customers are pursuing, and promoting a more sustainable energy future for our planet.
In addition to making New Hampshire’s electric system smarter and cleaner, Eversource is also working to make it tougher.
Throughout the state, we're hardening the system by replacing aging utility poles and wires with equipment that is more resilient to extreme New England weather. Poles are being swapped with structures that are stronger and more durable, with stronger, covered wire. This is especially important for the high-voltage electric transmission system, the backbone of the electric grid, which delivers power from where it’s generated to where it’s consumed. Outages to the transmission system can affect thousands of customers.
Investment in Infrastructure
In Northern New Hampshire, we're addressing vulnerabilities with a major older transmission line that provides electricity to about 30,000 customers. This line is showing serious signs of wear and tear, with damaged poles and equipment that could impact service if not fixed soon. To keep power reliable, we have already started emergency repairs in some areas, but a full rebuild of this vital transmission line is the optimal approach to limit our environmental impact, lower construction and maintenance costs, and ensure that the customers whose rates are impacted by the construction see the full benefits of the upgrades quickly.
Learn More
Learn more in our Sustainabilty Report
Innovative Solutions
Isolate power outages
and restore thousands from a backup source in less than five minutes
We're also constantly reviewing and improving our analytics, automation practices, technology, and vegetation management programs across the distribution systems to bolster resiliency and reliability for customers.
To learn more about how Eversource’s advanced technology and innovation is making New Hampshire’s electrical system more reliable, go to www.eversource.com.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Eversource is working every day to enhance reliability for customers, make the electric system more resilient to extreme weather caused by the changing climate, maintain responsible environmental stewardship, and cost-effectively advance a more sustainable energy future.
Eversource uses drones in difficult terrain to provide a critical bird’s-eye view so we can identify any potential issues not able to be seen by ground-based lenses.
When an outage does occur, Eversource leverages the latest technology — including drone detection in difficult-to-reach terrain, cut-and-clear trucks that allow trained workers to more quickly and safely clear downed wires, and new Rapid Poles, a temporary mobile pole/transformer technology that helps troubleshooters restore power quicker while longer, permanent repairs take place. Since the company’s first use of a Rapid Pole in November 2023, Eversource has successfully deployed the technology over 60 times, avoiding approximately 180 hours of outage time for Eversource customers.
The changing climate is forcing everyone to adapt — especially power companies. Eversource is committed to cost-effectively advancing innovative solutions that support a diverse mix of energy sources, help enable the interconnection of distributed energy resources like solar, which more customers are pursuing, and promote a more sustainable energy future for our planet. At the same time, we’re also leveraging new technology to combat the effects of severe weather and ensure the safe, reliable delivery of power to customers.
Percentage of Customers Restored Within 5 Minutes
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
1 of 6
Resources
Reduces the need for helicopter inspections and foot patrols. This means lower emissions, lower costs and fewer environmental impacts.
2 of 6
Information
Critical information is shared in real time, even on equipment that can be up to 200 feet above ground.
3 of 6
inspection
Enables higher-quality inspection, which can help us identify potential problems before they can affect safety and reliability. Provides access to lines and equipment in remote areas with steep or very wet terrain.
4 of 6
safety
Provides close-up views without the requirement of an outage, possibly alleviating the need for lineworkers to climb infrastructure
5 of 6
visuals
Capturing videos and photos during emergency response situations. This is used in real time and near-real time, to provide critical information needed in restoring and maintaining power throughout an emergency situations.
6 of 6
maintenance
Allows inspections of critical infrastructure, including transmission and distribution lines as well as substations. This information is needed in order to maintain our grid as energy providers.
Automatically restore power when a fuse opens, like when a tree limb temporarily contacts a wire
Protect the electric systems when a problem is detected, such as a current surge or overload
As a result of trip savers and smart switches, Eversource’s electric system can:
(hover to reveal)
The benefits of using drones include:
Eversource's investments in distribution automation technology, such as smart switches, enabled remote system operators to restore more than half of all New Hampshire's customer outages in 2023 in fewer than five minutes, excluding storms.