Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | July 27, 2026 | wbjournal.com National Grid's $474M transmission project leads a broader push to upgrade the region's power grid to meet the future demands of the economy Keeping the lights on BY FRED HURLBRINK JR. Special to WBJ A long the le fringe of the 13th hole fairway at Gardner Golf Course, 100-foot pines loom over the National Grid work site where the origins of the Central Mas- sachusetts' aging power infrastructure collide with the latest tangible steps toward its future. e work underway in Gardner is part of a sweeping effort to modernize New England's electric grid, replacing century-old infrastructure to meet surging demand from electric vehi- cles, heat pumps, advanced manufac- turing, and other industries. Utilities and regulators say those investments are critical not only to keeping the lights on but to supporting Massachu- setts' economic growth and clean-en- ergy ambitions for decades to come. "Infrastructure is really funda- mental to economic growth," said Christopher Geehern, executive vice president of communications for the trade group Associated Industries of Massachusetts. "e region will not be able to grow, companies will not be able to expand, if they don't have a re- liable electric system, particularly now when the state is moving toward elec- tric transportation, new construction being electrified, so that in itself makes it worth the investment." Days aer the state Energy Facilities Siting Board approved National Grid's $474-million A1/ B2 Transmission Line Project on June 4, tree clear- ing and other site preparation began near Gardner's Crystal Lake around New England's oldest transmission lines, originally erected in 1909. e project, which includes small portions of New Hampshire and Vermont, was approved for ratepayer funding by ISO New England and will cost Massachusetts customers $414 million. "Modernizing this infrastructure will strengthen day-to-day reliability, support economic activity, and ensure the system has the capacity and flexi- bility to meet growing energy needs," said Lisa Wieland, New England president for National Grid. Feeding the economy With more than 2,500 miles of transmission lines, 18,500 miles of smaller distribution lines, and 264 substations to maintain – and guided by decarbonization goals laid out in the Mass. Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2050 – National Grid has developed a robust array of plans to replenish the system and expects those combined initiatives to meet future demand and feed the economy. Over a 10-year period through 2034, the utility expects to generate more than $3.5 billion of economic activity through its grid moderniza- tion efforts, including the creation of 28,000 full- and part-time jobs, ac- cording to its 2024 Future Grid Plan. "AIM really strongly supports the all-of-the-above approach to energy, but renewable energy does have the potential to create an entirely new industry here in Massachusetts," Gee- hern said. "So investments like this are certainly welcome news for the employer community." ISO New England, the nonprofit authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to oversee the region's grid operation, projects annual electricity consumption to increase by 9% through 2035. e independent system operator predicts peak demand to rise significantly, par- ticularly in winter, due to the electrifi- cation of the heating industry. e widening adoption of electric heat pumps and electric transpor- tation are central to the state's 2050 CECP goals, which include: 93% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles being electrified or non-emitting; 87% of commercial space heated by elec- tricity or alternative fuels; and 52% of industrial energy use electrified. All of which will add more strain to the grid, and it doesn't end there. "We are seeing a broader set of trends driving demand on the grid, including growth in sectors like ad- vanced manufacturing, life sciences, and logistics," said Kate Davenport, National Grid director of network planning and strategy. While the proliferation of expan- sive, energy-sucking data centers con- tinues to make headlines, their impact in Massachusetts has been minimal and is expected to remain that way. "In New England, we have not seen the same scale of proposed data center or large- load development that has emerged in other regions of the country," said Mary Cate Christopher Geehern, executive vice president of communications, Associated Industries of Massachusetts Kate Davenport, National Grid director of network planning and strategy Kate Davenport, National Grid director of network planning and strategy, visits the $474-million transmission line project in Gardner. PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT

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