Con Edison has completed a $200 million construction project comprising of two 138 kV underground feeders running 4.6 miles across Staten Island, from a substation in Travis on the west side to a substation on Dongan Hills Avenue on the east side.
The cables not only replaced two older cables with outdated design but were also placed in service overnight. The project will increase electric service reliability in several neighborhoods on the east side of the Island.
The new cables are encased in a conduit, thereby minimizing its exposure to an excavation contractor. Contractor hits on the old cables leads to fluid leakage. The fluid, which is non-PCB, is like a mineral oil to keep transmission cables cool.
While the old cables required up to 400 hours of labor a year for maintenance, the new ones will reduce these expenses and save money for customers.
The Dongan Hills substation steps down the voltage and distributes the power to nearly 25,000 customers in parts of these neighborhoods such as Dongan Hills, Eltingville, Bay Terrace, Oakwood, New Dorp and Lighthouse Hill.
