BY DAVE CHOATE

The summer sun that brings oppressive heat to New Hampshire also brings extreme energy use for air conditioners and other coolers.

In an effort to combat the strain on the existing power lines, Public Service of New Hampshire is working on a $17.6 million project that will feature a new substation in Weare.

PSNH spokesman Martin Murray said the new project will also add two new transmission lines that will improve service and available power throughout Weare and southwestern New Hampshire. The new line will run more than 20 miles in total, with more than a third of that new line in Weare.

“Currently there is one transmission line that provides power to the Weare area. If we lose that one line, it presents a significant challenge,” Murray said.

He said the improvements have become especially necessary because Weare – alongside nearly every other town in the region – has seen its energy usage noticeably increase over the last several years.

“Overall, this new line will allow us to move more power here than the previous line. We can meet the increased demand of our customers,” Murray said.

The main benefit the new line offers is to Weare is security. In the past, if the substation failed, all of Weare would be without power until it was fixed.

With the addition of the two new lines and the substation, he said PSNH has more flexibility and a better chance of maintaining service in difficult times.

“The new lines give us more options and gives us more reliability. We need to be able to restore power sooner in the event of any outages, and it’s good to know if we lose one line we won’t lose the entire area,” Murray said.

He said PSNH is devoted to meeting the area’s increasing power demands, and that every town in the corridor – including Goffstown and New Boston – should see better service as a result of the improvements.

Murray said the existing line already was one of three providing power to the Keene area, as well.

With the new lines, he said power can be supplied to the Weare area and the Keene region even if the other two lines into Keene fail.

The length and width of the current corridor of poles and lines will not change, according to Murray. The construction is ongoing, and PSNH expects the new structures to be fully complete by the second quarter of 2008.