WEYMOUTH – Residents will get a chance to weigh in on a plan by the town of Hingham to build a new, underground transmission line that would run partially through Weymouth.
The Hingham Municipal Light Plant has proposed a project to build an electric substation on Hobart Street and a bury a transmission line from Weymouth to increase reliability and capacity.
Having an underground line means that the lights would stay on for Hingham residents if either of the above-ground transmission lines were taken down during a storm.
Representatives from the town will hold two open houses to seek feedback from Weymouth residents and businesses about its preliminary proposed route and potential alterative routes for the transmission line.
The open houses will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25 and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Both will be held at the Tufts Public Library, 46 Broad St.
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The proposed underground route would begin at a new station owned and operated by Eversource near the Connell Ice Rink in Weymouth, and continue along Weymouth and Hingham streets to a new substation owned by Hingham Municipal Light Plant.
Tom Morahan, general manager of Hingham Municipal Light Plant, said in a statement that getting input from the public is a vital part of the project.
“A significant portion of the new underground transmission line will be located in
Weymouth,” Morahan said. “When construction is completed, residents and businesses in Weymouth will not know that the line is there. But, in order to get to that point, there will be some temporary disruption, and HMLP (Hingham Municipal Light Plant) is committed to working with Weymouth residents, businesses and officials to ensure that local concerns are fully heard and that the impacts of construction are minimized.”
More information about the project is available at heirp.com.