INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS ELECTRIC SERVICE - NStar

ARTICLE 404 ARTICLE 404
C. Overhead Line Extensions for Commercial &
Industrial Customers within the Cambridge &
South Districts:
Whenever NSTAR is required to extend its single phase or
three phase overhead distribution lines along a public way
or private way to serve a commercial or industrial
customer, the customer will provide a contribution-in-aidof-construction
for all costs of said overhead line extension
not supported by revenue.
Along public ways, and at the option of the customer on
private ways/property, all construction of an overhead line
extension for servicing commercial or industrial customers
will be done by NSTAR or its agent. NSTAR will own,
maintain and provide the line extension along the public
way and/or private ways including any tree trimming
where an easement has been provided.
NSTAR will also provide, own and maintain the overhead
service drop from its facilities to a commercial/industrial
customer.
Contact the NSTAR New Customer Connect Tech Center
for details of the Commercial/Industrial Line Extension
Policy.
404. Ownership of Private Residential Overhead
Construction
Where existing pole lines are owned and maintained by the
customer, the ownership and maintenance shall include, but
not be limited to, the replacement of defective or damaged
poles and fixtures, wires and the trimming of trees.
Maintenance construction performed by a contractor under
agreement with the customer shall conform to the
requirements of the local authority and standard specifications
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for materials and methods as furnished by NSTAR. Such
construction is subject to approval by the authority having
jurisdiction.
For Cambridge & South Districts:
Additionally, in order to address the concern expressed by the
MDPU in its Hurricane Bob order DPU 91-228, regarding
private poles and subject to the following conditions, NSTAR
began a program to accept ownership of customer-owned
pole lines located on the customer’s property that were
constructed prior to November 1, 1994.
The requirements are:
A. The pole line to be owned by NSTAR must be connected
to an existing pole line owned by NSTAR.
B. The pole line to be owned by NSTAR must be readily
accessible by NSTAR’s vehicles via a driveway or roadway
to construct and maintain the line without special or
unusual permission or circumstances.
C. NSTAR is presented with legally valid easements,
provided at no cost to NSTAR with (A) rights to own and
maintain the pole line, including rights to trim trees as
normally required and (B) rights that allow NSTAR to
service other customers from the pole line, and to extend
the pole line to serve other customers.
D. The customer must pay to NSTAR the tax liability
associated with the facilities to be acquired.
The poles must meet these conditional guidelines:
A. The pole must have more than 10 years of life left (based
on a 30 year life expectancy), must be in good condition
(i.e. no woodpecker holes, no ground or shell rot).
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