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| Project Schedule and Costs |
The schedule for the Rhode Island Reliability Project is as follows:
- Planning and engineering - through 2009
- Permitting - 2008-2010
- Construction - 2010-2012
- Facilities in service - late 2012
Community outreach is ongoing throughout all phases of the project.
Project Costs
The cost of the Rhode Island Reliability Project is estimated to be in excess of $250 million.
Regulatory agencies ensure that electric utilities act in the public interest to keep rates as low as possible for all customers. All transmission projects are carefully scrutinized by regulatory agencies to make sure that utility companies make prudent investments to maintain reliability with as little environmental impact as possible and at the lowest reasonable cost.
New England states have agreed to share the costs of projects that provide regional benefit and National Grid will seek regional cost-sharing for the Rhode Island Reliability Project. Cost recovery would begin at the 2012 in-service date and be recovered over 40 years. There may be instances where the special needs of a community raise the project costs over and above feasible least cost solutions. In these cases the state or local municipality may be required to pay the increased costs.
Transmission is currently 6-7 percent of customer bills and minimal bill impact is expected.
