Boston and Massachusetts are focusing on renewable energy expansion, grid modernization, and achieving ambitious decarbonization goals. Efforts include increasing the use of electric vehicles, electrifying public transportation, improving energy efficiency in buildings, and integrating clean energy sources to support the state's 'carbon neutral' target by 2030.

There is an imminent need for electrical infrastructure in Boston to enable clean energy delivery and meet electrification goals.

With its Clean Energy and Climate Plan, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has established aggressive clean energy targets aimed at transitioning to a decarbonized future.

Last year Massachusetts passed “An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind” (climate law). The climate law required each electric distribution company to prepare an Electric Sector Modernization Plan (ESMP) that is transparent, proactively upgrades the distribution system, modernizes the grid and integrates more clean energy.

We crafted our ambitious and detailed ESMP outlining critical steps we will take in the next five to 10 years, as well as a vision for the steps that will be needed to meet decarbonization targets by 2050, in recognition of the critical role the electric distribution system plays in enabling clean energy and electrification over the next 25 years. It also includes our plan to meet Boston’s electrification and clean energy goals by upgrading and building new electrical infrastructure across the city.

Learn more about and read our full electric sector modernization plan. 

A substation is part of the electric system and is a crucial piece of equipment to bring electricity to homes and businesses.

It plays a vital role in the transmission and distribution of electricity from generation sources – like offshore wind or solar farms or other electric generation stations – to end-users like homes and businesses. It takes in high-voltage electricity from power plants and reduces the voltage so it can be safely utilized by homes and businesses.

A substation is not a power plant and does not produce emissions.

New infrastructure and electrical upgrades are necessary to support the city's growing demand for electricity, replace aging infrastructure, and integrate renewable and clean energy sources to the existing electric grid. These upgrades are essential for ensuring energy reliability, promoting economic development and supporting environmental goals.

Benefits include improved public health, economic benefits, fewer power interruptions and a modernized electric system capable of supporting clean energy goals.

The neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roslindale, Mattapan and Hyde Park are among recent Boston neighborhoods planned to receive these critical system upgrades. The infrastructure that supply these neighborhoods are reaching their electrical capacity. To keep pace with electrical demand in this area, new infrastructure is required.

Learn more about substations.

Options for reducing your electric usage and overall electric demand can be further explored through our nation-leading, energy efficiency programs as sponsors of MassSave.

Our energy efficiency programs support not only a reduction in energy use but also provide incentives and rebates to transition to electrified appliances and participate in robust demand response programs.

Our team of engineers who analyze our electrical system look at existing and forecasted impacts from load reducing measures such as energy efficiency, distributed generation and long-term impacts from demand response. Even with these important energy conservation efforts they are not sufficient to offset the increasing electrical demand and need of a new substation to ensure reliable service for the community

New infrastructure and upgrades are necessary to support the city's growing demand for electricity, replace aging infrastructure and integrate renewable energy sources. These upgrades are essential for ensuring energy reliability, promoting economic growth and supporting environmental goals. Benefits include improved public health, economic benefits, less energy interruption and a modernized system capable of supporting clean energy goals.

The neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roslindale, Mattapan and Hyde Park are among the first Boston neighborhoods planned to receive these critical system upgrades.

The substations that service these neighborhoods have reached their electrical capacity. To keep pace with electrical demand in this area, new infrastructure will be required.

Beyond meeting the state's long term clean energy targets, our Electric Sector Modernization Plan (ESMP) outlines tangible customer benefits.

Based on a large body of research that studies the potential for electric transmission lines to impact property values, the project is not expected to have a discernable adverse effect on property values.

To stay informed, you can sign up for email updates.

You can also reach the project team at 1-833-836-0302 or ProjectInfoMA@eversource.com.

Eversource and TNT Neighborhood United plan to collaborate in hosting working groups/subcommittees on a range of agreed upon topics.

If you would like to receive working group updates, please join our email list.

We are currently translating all materials for this project into Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Please contact Cody Diehl at cody.diehl@eversource.com to request additional languages and we will accommodate the request, provided with reasonable turnaround time.

A ratepayer is a customer.

Prior to completion, the full cost of a substation is an estimate based on current costs of labor and materials.

The cost will be fully reviewed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to ensure they are reasonable and accurate.

Upgrades to the electric system are paid for by ratepayers and investors over the course of decades.

Learn more about your bill

For over 40 years, there has been a great deal of third-party scientific research devoted to researching electric magnetic fields (EMF) and related health impacts. Eversource is supportive of this research and continues to monitor studies since it began.

The World Health Organization states, “Extensive research has been conducted into possible health effects of exposure to many parts of the frequency spectrum. All reviews conducted so far have indicated that exposures below the limits recommended in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP [1998]) EMF guidelines, covering the full frequency range from 0 - 300 GHz*, do not produce any known adverse health effect.” 

Learn more about EMF

The proposed substation is not a power plant and does not use any combustion processes during operation. It is the emissions from combustion processes that have been implicated in causing high asthma rates.

Audible sound, another source that has been implicated in causing health issues, will be minimal and will meet the limits set by state guidelines and local ordinances.

Substations are in residential neighborhoods across the city, state, country and around the world. Safety is a top priority at Eversource.

We have nearly 140 years of experience constructing and operating substations located in urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods to meet our customers' needs. There are numerous safety codes and standards that are applicable to these facilities.

These codes and the our extensive experience will be incorporated into the proposed facility, making the risks as low as reasonably achievable.

Substations have been in operation across the world for more than 100 years and have proven safe. Because substations contain high voltage electric equipment, they are tightly controlled and regulated to minimize the risks as much as possible.

Some of the safety measures include a perimeter fence and electrical grounding equipment to keep voltage out of reach of the public.

There are redundant protective operating systems so in the event of an equipment failure power is cut to the failed equipment to limit damage. Automatic fire suppression systems will be activated automatically if a fire were to occur.

While building a fully underground substation in this area is not possible, we understand the desire of the community to lessen the vertical impact of a fully above-ground substation. As a result, the current design has substations partially underground. 

A fully underground substation requires substantially large area and depth. Even when a substation is located underground, sufficient available land at the surface is required to provide personnel access, equipment access and ventilation.

While building a substation underground has benefits and challenges, in this location there is not sufficient space either underneath or above ground to support a fully underground substation.

We have an extensive and robust site evaluation process which brings various subject matter experts together to review the available sites within the area of need. Learn more about the siting process for this project.

To ensure reliable electricity, the location of a distribution substation should be close to the area where more electric capacity is needed and where the most energy is being used. 

Substations include several distribution electric lines, called feeders that bring electricity to areas throughout the community.

When infrastructure is designed, these feeders help to disperse energy into a focused geographic area where electric demand is increasing. 

The proposed Hyde Park Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will support the heavily loaded existing Hyde Park substation. A BESS will store energy, during periods of low electric demand, so it can be used in electrical infrastructure when electrical demand is needed.  

Hyde Park is one of the local area substations that support the neighborhoods of the Greater Dorchester Area. This BESS project will support the short-term area reliability needs (while additionally a new substation is built). BESS will also support long-term electrical needs and clean energy for this area.