Utility starts training center

EVERSOURCE ENERGY By Luther Turmelle

BERLIN — Eversource Energy has a new 5-acre training facility to train its power line repair workers and natural gas technicians.

Company officials unveiled the new, $2.7 million facility Thursday at the utility company’s corporate campus on the Berlin Turnpike. It replaces an older training facility located about a quarter-mile north of the campus on the Berlin Turnpike, said Frank Poirot, an Eversource spokesman.

“This facility can accommodate training more than 200 electric distribution linemen and more than 200 natural gas workers over the period of a year,” Poirot said. “The workers are rotated through over a period of time. Some of them are apprentices, who are training to get the certification they need to work in the field.”

The new facility includes indoor and outdoor training areas. Jim Judge, Eversource’s chairman, president and CEO, said that “a well-trained workforce is critical” to the company’s mission.

“Safety is at the core of everything we do and our new training facility featuring real-world, outdoor training areas gives line workers and gas technicians invaluable hands-on experience and the opportunity to work with equipment in a safe and controlled environment before encountering it in the field,” Judge said in a statement.

Electric distribution line workers hone skills at the facility such as pole climbing, working on energized and de-energized lines, pole-top rescues, transformer installation and troubleshooting. The training center has utility poles set at a variety of heights, from the standard 35 feet to medium and low heights so that instructors can work closely with employees.

The natural gas training area is designed as a residential neighborhood would be. It has houses, sidewalks, yards and paved streets. Natural gas technicians learn how to handle emergencies as well as more routine tasks such as meter installations and underground inspections.

Indoor classrooms will be used for ongoing safety lessons for employees, who range from veteran line workers to brand-new technicians and apprentices in various stages of training.

Eversource provides electrical service to 1.2 million customers in 149 Connecticut communities. It also has 229,000 natural gas customers in 73 communities in the state. luther.turmelle@hearstmedia ct.com