The United Illuminating Co. is preparing for a multi-year, $300 million transmission line upgrade along a 9.5-mile stretch of the railroad corridor between Milford and New Haven, officials with the Orange-based electric utility said.

The project, which will begin in late 2023 and run until late 2028, will serve two purposes, company officials said in announcing the plan.

One is to rebuild 115-kilovolt lines to conform to current utility industry standards. The other is to separate those transmission lines from their current spot along railroad catenary structures which power electrified Metro North commuter trains.

Frank Reynolds, UI’s president and chief executive officer, said the so-called Milvon to West River Transmission Line Rebuild Project will “improve the resiliency of our electric grid.” The railroad line is controlled by the state Department of Transportation. Read More

The newest Tapestry Collection by Hilton property slated to open this May 19, 2022 is also what is believed to be the country’s first net-zero hotel: Hotel Marcel New Haven in New Haven, Connecticut.

The hotel is also expected to be the first Passive House-certified hotel in the country and will be one of less than a dozen LEED Platinum-certified hotels in the U.S. Everything from its 165 rooms and suites to its restaurant and laundry areas will use the energy produced from on-site solar panels.

But what’s unique about the hotel is that it isn’t a new build: Hotel Marcel’s building was originally built in 1970 as the Armstrong Rubber Company headquarters and is listed in the State and National Register of Historic Places, but lead architect, developer and owner Bruce Redman Beeker, FAIA, LEED AP of Becker + Becker chose to renovate the hotel into the vision of a more sustainable future. Read More