Two new mobile substations are now ready to roll across Upstate New York, giving utilities another tool to keep the lights on during outages.
New York State Electric & Gas has added the units to its fleet, bringing the combined total to 24 mobile substations shared between NYSEG and Rochester Gas and Electric.
The mobile substations provide temporary power during emergency outages, planned maintenance, or situations where extra electrical load is needed. Crews can quickly transport the units and connect them to the grid to bypass permanent substations while repairs or upgrades take place.
“Mobile substations are incredibly vital to maintaining the electrical system’s reliability,” said Marc Geaumont, president of NYSEG. He pointed to extreme weather as an ongoing challenge for the power grid.
Replacing older equipment
NYSEG purchased the two new mobile substations using funds approved in the 2023 rate case. The new units replace older models and include added safety features for workers.
The substations can remain in service anywhere from a few hours to as long as a year, depending on the situation. Because they are mobile, crews can deploy them anywhere within NYSEG and RG&E service territories.
Recent use and future plans
NYSEG recently used a mobile substation from Plattsburgh during a prolonged outage at the Colliers substation in March. That outage affected more than 1,000 customers in the Oneonta division. Crews returned the mobile unit to standby once repairs were completed.
Looking ahead, NYSEG and RG&E have proposed investing $16.1 billion through 2031 to upgrade grid infrastructure across their service area, which covers more than 40 percent of Upstate New York. The utilities say those investments aim to improve long-term reliability and energy quality for customers.
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