BERLIN- To help ensure customers have reliable power, Eversource is conducting aerial inspections of high-voltage electrical equipment in Connecticut using a helicopter with special heat-sensing imaging equipment. The overhead inspections allow the energy company to cover vast distances while capturing images not visible to the naked eye. These images identify potential problems with electric lines and related equipment, so the company can make any necessary repairs or upgrades before possible reliability issues arise.

Weather-permitting, these aerial inspections will start Monday, August 6, and continue through August 17. They will take place from 8 am until 4 pm.

"With more than 800 miles of transmission rights of way in Connecticut, these helicopter inspections are a crucial and effective part of our commitment to reducing the frequency and duration of power outages," said President of Regional Electric Operations Craig Hallstrom. "Well over a million customers in Connecticut depend on us for their electric service. To ensure they have energy for every moment of their lives, we're continuously working to keep the electric system operating safely and reliably."

The following Connecticut cities and towns are included in this aerial inspection:

Andover, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethany, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Bozrah, Branford, Bristol, Brookfield, Brooklyn, Canton, Chaplin, Cheshire, Chester, Columbia, Coventry, Danbury, Darien, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hartford, East Haven, East Lyme, East Windsor, Ellington, Essex, Farmington, Franklin, Glastonbury, Granby, Greenwich, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Hampton, Hartford, Harwinton, Hebron, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Litchfield, Lyme, Manchester, Mansfield, Meriden, Middlebury, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, Monroe, Montville, Naugatuck, New Hartford, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, North Branford, North Stonington, Norwalk, Old Saybrook, Orange, Oxford, Plymouth, Pomfret, Portland, Putnam, Redding, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, Salisbury, Shelton, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Stamford, Suffield, Thomaston, Thompson, Wallingford, Washington, Waterbury, Waterford, Watertown, Westport, Wethersfield, Wilton, Windham, Windsor, Wolcott, Woodbridge and Woodbury.

For identification purposes, the helicopter being used for Eversource's transmission line inspections is a blue and silver Bell, with a registration number N1431W.