Avangrid Inc. is investing $41 million to develop five projects in Ithaca, New York aimed at improving the area’s electrical grid, according to a May 22 press release.

 These projects are expected to benefit more than 42,000 New York State Electric & Gas customers in the region by adding additional capacity and reliability to the grid, Avangrid said.

Phase I of the investment will focus on current reliability needs in the region and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027. These projects include:

  • $300,000 in upgrades to transformers at the Coddington substation;
  • $28.4 million to purchase and install two new transformers at the Fourth Street substation;
  • $4.2 million to purchase and install a capacity bank at the Trumansburg substation;
  • $3.3 million to purchase and install a capacity bank at the Cayuga Heights substation; and
  • $4.9 million to purchase and install a capacity bank at the West Hill substation.

The transformers will play a key role in the substation upgrades, Avangrid said.

Their function is to step down the voltage to transmission, sub-transmission and distribution voltages, making the stations more resilient to power outages, the company said.

Capacitor banks stabilize and maintain voltage levels on the grid, Avangrid said.

The Ithaca investment builds on Avangrid’s effort to modernize New York’s electrical and gas infrastructure totaling over $500 million for 265 projects since the 2023 Reliable Energy Rate Plan, the release stated.

 Avangrid said the 265 projects have rebuilt gas and electrical infrastructure across the company’s service territories that provide safe and reliable energy to 2.9 million customers in New York.

“Avangrid’s $41 million investment in Ithaca is a crucial step in our ongoing commitment to modernize and strengthen New York’s aging energy infrastructure,” said CEO Pedro Azagra. “Through our larger $20 billion investment through 2030, Avangrid will help ensure communities across New York and the United States have the reliable and resilient energy needed to grow and prosper.”

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