The Holyoke Machine Company was an American manufacturer of industrial machinery, best known for its work in paper manufacturing equipment and water turbines .
50-502: The company, formed in 1863, was founded by Nathan H. Whitten, T.C. Page, T. B. Flanders, Richard Pattee, and S. S. Chase, after the Holyoke Water Power Company 's machine shop had been sold off. Stephen Holman, the company's treasurer, president, and largest shareholder during different times in its first decade, is credited as its founder, though the nature of his early involvement is not well documented. Holman would purchase
100-678: A considerable improvement over previous designs of the era, the turbine would become ubiquitous in mills in the United States, as well as Europe . The central location of the company, and its design improvements for various papermaking machinery such as Fourdrinier machines , contributed to the paper making and textile economy of Massachusetts and more specifically the paper industry of the Berkshires , granting ready-access to machinery that often had to be shipped great distances from other manufacturers. In addition to turbines and papermaking machinery,
150-514: A corporate attorney with the New York law firm of Gould & Wilkie, where he was general counsel for Central Hudson Gas and Electric in Poughkeepsie, New York . He later rose to become Central Hudson's president, and its chief executive in 1964. Forsaking law, he remained in the utilities industry , joining Northeast Utilities , a utility holding company , as president in 1968. Two years later he
200-418: A more amicable relationship with regulators, improved operating margins, and the third " Millstone " plant coming online, all contributed to the turnaround. Sillin was regarded by friend and foe "as frank and forthright and someone who held a genuine concern for the customers he served." Shortly into his role at the top of Northeast Utilities Sillin was granted the honor of delivering the 1970 installment of
250-442: A new substation across the street, and configuring a new 115 kV line from South Agawam to Southwick using a combination of both new and old line segments of the former 115 kV path between Agawam and North Bloomfield. The new Cadwell and Fairmont switching stations allowed a number of three-terminal 115 kV lines to be broken up into two-terminal lines. Finally, the project allowed a problematic underground 115 kV transmission path through
300-464: Is also New Hampshire's largest electric utility, serving over 500,000 customers, including homes and businesses, in 211 cities and towns throughout the state. Furthermore, Eversource is a major energy distributor to 1.7 million customers across Massachusetts, including over 1.4 million electric customers in 140 communities and over 300,000 natural gas customers in 51 communities. The Rocky River Power Company, formed in 1905 by J. Henry Roraback , became
350-901: Is reviewing the findings, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to open an investigation on the matter, and both the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the Massachusetts Public Utilities Department are launching inquiries of their own. On Feb. 27, 2018, FERC announced their investigation “revealed no evidence of anticompetitive withholding of natural gas pipeline capacity on Algonquin Gas Transmission by New England shippers.” It said that following an extensive review Commission staff “determined that EDF’s study
400-720: The Northfield Mountain hydroelectric facility ) were transferred to Northeast Generation. In 2001, NU sold the assets and operations of its subsidiary, the Holyoke Water Power Company, to the City of Holyoke including the HWP electrical distribution system and customer base and all generation with the exception of the Mt. Tom coal-fired power plant which NU retained. The city's municipal gas and electric department assumed responsibility for
450-541: The Connecticut Light and Power Company in 1917. Eversource predecessor Northeast Utilities (NU) was formed on July 1, 1966, under CEO Lelan Sillin , with the merger of the Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P, formed in 1917), Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO, formed in 1886), and the Hartford Electric Light Company (HELCO, formed in 1878) under a single parent company, creating
500-616: The Democratic Governors Association in 2016, and payments made to trade associations that were used for lobbying or other political activities in excess of $ 135,000. In Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey testified in March, 2017 before the DPU urging it to deny Eversource's proposed $ 300 million rate increase. In her testimony, she challenged the need for Eversource's rate increase, noting NSTAR's and WMECo's high returns over
550-531: The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities on Thursday approved a much-reduced rate hike for Eversource Energy that will allow it to charge its Massachusetts electric customers tens of millions of dollars more a year. On December 20, 2017, Attorney General Maura Healey appealed the DPU ruling in the Eversource rate case, specifically the DPU's approval of a costly 10 percent shareholder return, one of
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#1732852357449600-559: The New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee voted unanimously to deny Eversource's controversial Northern Pass project a permit, leaving the future of the project, and $ 1.6 billion of Eversource's Transmission Rate Base Growth Projections in doubt. On July 26, 2019, Eversource Energy announced that it was giving up Northern Pass after the New Hampshire Supreme Court rejected its appeal and sided with
650-541: The New Hampshire generation fleet was approved by the state's Public Utilities Commission on November 29, 2017, and completed on January 10, 2018. In June 2017 Eversource announced its merger with Aquarion Water Company for $ 1.675 billion. Aquarion would become a fully owned subsidiary and retain its own name, adding 300 employees and 230,000 customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. In December 2017,
700-550: The SEC. While Eversource reported that its electric transmission earnings were up 80 percent in Q2 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is now investigating the utility for having transmission rates that appear to be “unjust, unreasonable and unduly discriminatory or preferential”. Meanwhile, the potential for rooftop solar to prevent the need for new transmission lines is growing and Eversource wants to cap rooftop solar growth in
750-664: The White Mountains. This 180- to 190-mile line, projected to carry 1,200 megawatts, would have carried electricity to approximately one million homes. The issue of buying hydropower from Hydro-Québec had been an issue during the Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2010 . In November 2015, the Sierra Club of New Hampshire also expressed opposition for the new line, saying that it would not only benefit Connecticut and Massachusetts residents more than those in New Hampshire, but also
800-456: The business's focus. At the end of 1950 the company auctioned off all of its remaining tools for the purposes of manufacturing turbines, papermaking tools and other mechanical machinery, choosing to focus entirely on its precision roll and filter business in the paper and textile industries. Citing the shrinking of an American industrial base, changes in technology and its specialization in those industries, Irwin's son, owner James Sagalyn, dissolved
850-495: The case was thrown out of court as the judge stated natural gas prices are federally regulated and could not be interfered with by the court. Lelan Sillin Lelan F. Sillin Jr. (April 19, 1918 – January 3, 1997) was a pioneer in the nuclear power industry , an advocate of nuclear safety, and chairman and chief executive of Northeast Utilities . An early proponent of nuclear power , he
900-522: The city of Springfield that was vulnerable to thermal overloads to be removed from service by breaking it in half at the middle. The underground lines now function solely to supply the distribution load served out of the Breckwood substation in Springfield. A previously proposed costly project that would have replaced the underground cables is no longer necessary. On November 20, 2013, cutover of 115 kV lines to
950-445: The company and all its subsidiaries rebranded themselves as " Eversource Energy ". The stock symbol changed on February 19, 2015, from "NU" to "ES". Before its rebranding, the company operated six main subsidiaries: Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P), Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH), Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO), Yankee Gas Services Company (Yankee Gas), NSTAR Electric, and NSTAR Gas. NSTAR itself
1000-555: The company divested all of the generating assets of WMECO and CL&P per requirements of the Massachusetts and Connecticut legislation. The company retained some of these assets by transferring them to a new subsidiary called Northeast Generation which functioned as a competitive supplier and sold the other assets entirely: WMECO's West Springfield Generating Station and several related hydroelectric and fossil fuel generating units were sold to Con Edison, while other assets (most notably
1050-666: The company had essentially completed the divestiture of its competitive businesses. In 2006, NU decided to sell the generating units it had earlier retained in the 1999 divestiture as competitive suppliers and shut down its competitive generation business units. The Northeast Generation assets, including Mount Tom Station and Northfield Mountain, were all sold to Energy Capital Partners . PSNH continued to operate regulated hydroelectric and fossil fuel generation assets to serve its default/basic service customers who did not choose an alternative competitive supplier. In October 2010, Northeast Utilities announced that it would merge with NSTAR ,
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#17328523574491100-1117: The company in August 2017, leaving one competitor working on the same technology, Badger Roll and Machine of Green Bay, Wisconsin to handle remaining customers, many in the Greater Springfield area. Holyoke Water Power Company Eversource Energy is a publicly traded , Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut , and Boston, Massachusetts , with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity, natural gas service and water service to approximately 4 million customers in Connecticut , Massachusetts , and New Hampshire . Following its 2012 merger with Boston-based NSTAR , Northeast Utilities had more than 4,270 circuit miles of electric transmission lines, 72,000 pole miles of distribution lines, and 6,459 miles of natural gas pipeline in New England . On February 2, 2015,
1150-597: The company signed on a joint venture with Hydro-Québec and NSTAR to build a new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line from Windsor, Quebec (connecting with the Quebec grid ) to a location in Franklin, New Hampshire . It was projected that the line would either run in an existing right-of-way adjacent to the HVDC line that runs through New Hampshire, or it would connect to a right-of-way in northern New Hampshire that would run through
1200-568: The company was also known to have produced a wide variety of cast parts and custom orders. Among those known were Thomas Edison's personal elevator at his Orange, New Jersey laboratory , as well as doors for the US Capitol Building . With a changing market steering away from 19th century water-turbine factories, the business went into decline and entered bankruptcy in 1948, when it was bought by Irwin Sagalyn, who closed its foundry and changed
1250-606: The company's foundry works in Worcester in April 1873, a second manufacturing branch which remained open for several decades. The best known among turbines manufactured by the company was the Hercules turbine ; a design developed by engineer John B. McCormick , who improved upon the Francis turbine , it was the first true mixed flow turbine of a high efficiency. With a maximum efficiency of 87%,
1300-582: The concern of the flooding of boreal forests during the construction of Hydro-Québec's dams in northern Quebec, disputes with the Innu First Nations, and the effects of tourism and the environment within the White Mountain National Forest . On January 25, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Baker selected this "Northern Pass Transmission" (NPT) project as the winner for a clean energy procurement RFP. However, days later on February 1, 2018,
1350-721: The day for others to use that capacity. Those orders had the effect of driving up wholesale prices for natural gas during peak winter heating periods and in turn increasing the costs of electricity generated by gas-fired power plants. The two utilities “engaged in behavior that would tend to have the largest impact on prices,” said N. Jonathan Peress, a senior director at the New York-based environmental group. “That implies they knew their efforts would have some sort of pricing impact that would provide them with some commercial benefit.” Representatives for both utilities denied they did anything improper. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey
1400-622: The first new multi-state public utility holding company since the enactment of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 . In 1967, Holyoke Water Power Company (HWP) (formed in 1859) joined the NU System. Public Service Company of New Hampshire ( PSNH , formed in 1926), a private company at the time, declared bankruptcy in January 1988 due to problems obtaining a license for the completed Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant . and in 1992
1450-472: The generators and absorbed the HWP distribution customer base. Between 2000 and 2002 due to state laws, NU divested WMECO, CL&P, and PSNH's nuclear generating assets which consisted of their stakes in the Seabrook , Millstone , and Vermont Yankee stations. In November 2005, the company announced it would sell its unregulated competitive businesses, including generation and energy services. In November 2006
1500-425: The highest rates allowed by an electric distribution company regulator in the last five years. On January 30, 2018, Massachusetts Rep. Thomas Golden and Sen. Michael Barrett held an Oversight Hearing on the DPU's decision to approve Eversource's proposal to include a demand charge as part of a monthly minimum reliability contribution on net metering customers. Rep. Golden accused the utility of purposefully making
1550-462: The individual firms that joined to become Northeast Utilities in 1966—" Connecticut ", " Maine ", " Vermont ", and " Rowe "—the firm added two " Millstone " plants to its generation capacity during that decade. Sillin's middle years with the company did not go easily. In addition to the Middle East oil embargoes of 1973 and 1979 , escalating inflation, rising construction costs, annual tussles with
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1600-427: The last few years. Referencing NSTAR's 2015 return of more than 13 percent, Attorney General Healey told the DPU that “[l]ast year, no state public utility commission in the country allowed a return that high.” Between 2010 and 2015, Eversource's shareholders of common stock received a cumulative total return (including quarterly dividends and the change in the market price per share) of 89 percent. On November 30, 2017,
1650-542: The major electric and gas provider in Greater Boston , with the resulting company retaining the Northeast Utilities name for the next several years. After government approvals, the deal closed in April 2012. In 2015 the company (now known as Eversource) agreed to sell all of its New Hampshire generation assets in the same manner it sold its assets in Massachusetts and Connecticut between 2000 and 2006. The sale of
1700-403: The merger was completed after government approval. In 2016, Eversource started joint ventures for wind farm developments with Ørsted . In 2023, Eversource announced it would sell off its equity in these projects ( Bay State Wind , South Fork Wind , Revolution Wind , and Sunrise Wind ) at an expected loss of $ 200 million. Eversource Energy has participated in a number of projects to improve
1750-567: The new Fairmont Switching Station was complete, marking substantial completion of the GSRP. Eversource has taken action to support the use of electric vehicles . Starting in 2018, the company began spending $ 45 million over five years to install over 400 electric vehicle charging stations in Massachusetts. The project is part of the company's Grid Modernization plan. The company has switched much of its power source from coal to natural gas , wind, hydroelectricity and solar power. As Northeast Utilities,
1800-544: The new charges "as confusing as possible." He said, "Let me tell you something gentlemen, I'm not happy how this was rolled out. I'm not happy with the lack of information my office has received." Golden, co-chairman of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, helped write the 2016 law that permits utilities to levy a new minimum monthly charge, and he told Eversource executives they were making it "extremely, extremely difficult" for him to continue to support them in
1850-731: The nuclear power industry, in which he chided some utility companies for simply meeting rather than exceeding regulatory requirements. Lelan Sillin was born in Tampa, Florida , on April 19, 1918. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1940 and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1942. During World War II he served in the United States Marine Corps in the South Pacific until 1945. He started his business career as
1900-607: The other south to North Bloomfield, Connecticut. The new 345 kV corridor added a new strong interface between Massachusetts and Connecticut. The project also involved rebuilding all of the 115 kV lines along the transmission corridor between South Agawam and Ludlow to increase their capacities, building a new 115 kV transmission substation in East Springfield (Cadwell), replacing the Fairmont 115 kV transmission substation in Chicopee with
1950-475: The policy. In 2017, an environmental group accused Eversource and Avangrid of driving up electric, gas rates over several winters by buying up shipment capacity on a major pipeline that they ultimately did not use. The Environmental Defense Fund said both utilities routinely reserved big deliveries of natural gas on the Algonquin pipeline system for frigid days, but then sharply reduced those orders too late in
2000-406: The prestigious Charles P. Steinmetz Memorial Lecture at Union College . Although Sillin helped make Northeast Utilities the most nuclear-powered utility in the nation during his tenure, he saw himself as an energy pragmatist. In a 1979 interview he bristled: "I don't like being classed as a nuclear proponent. I'm a utility man. As soon as we find a better technology, we'll go with it." Sillin
2050-475: The regulatory boards of the two most important states Northeast served - Connecticut and Massachusetts, and heavy borrowing, began eroding Northeast Utility's financial viability. Company fortunes did not begin to recover until Sillin recruited and hired his own replacement, William B. Ellis, and retired as chairman and chief executive in 1983. A number of factors, including resetting expectations by downsizing company growth predictions and annual return projections,
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2100-415: The reliability of the power grid in southwest Connecticut. The first project was construction of the $ 350 million 345 kilovolt Bethel–Norwalk transmission line through the western part of the state, and was constructed entirely by the company when it was still known as Northeast Utilities. With United Illuminating , an upgrade to the 69-mile (112 km), 345 kilovolt Middletown-Norwalk transmission line
2150-572: The state. In 2015, Eversource fought the rooftop solar industry and supported anti-solar policies. In Massachusetts, they staffed the State House with lobbyists in order to end legislation promoting growth of the solar industry. During the 2015 legislative session in New Hampshire, Eversource opposed an increase to the state's solar net metering cap. New Hampshire's cap is lower than all neighboring states. Eversource disclosed on its website politically related organization expenditures of $ 110,000 to
2200-549: Was an early advocate of nuclear power but criticized some nuclear operators for complacency. In a 1986 analysis on the nuclear power industry called the "Sillin Report," he chided utilities that simply met regulatory requirements "instead of striving for excellence." Sillin was married to Joan Outhwaite Sillin, with whom he had four sons, Lelan III of Syracuse, New York ; John, of Potomac, Maryland ; Andrew, of New Paltz, New York , and William of Sunderland, Massachusetts . Mr. Sillin
2250-536: Was energized in 2009 at a cost of $ 900 million. In 2013, the Greater Springfield Reliability Project, a component of the ongoing New England East-West Solution, was energized at a cost of $ 795 million. The project addressed numerous reliability issues with the Springfield, MA area's 115 kV transmission system by constructing two new 345 kV lines to the Agawam substation; one line north to Ludlow and
2300-584: Was flawed and led to incorrect conclusions about the alleged withholding.” A class-action lawsuit filed on November 14, 2017, against Avangrid, Inc. and Eversource Energy claims the two companies caused electricity consumers to incur overcharges of $ 3.6 billion in a years-long scheme that impacted six states and affected 14.7 million people. The lawsuit states that 7.1 million retail electricity customers and an overall population of 14.7 million people have been affected by Eversource and Avangrid's “unique monopoly” spanning at least from 2013 to 2016. On June 10, 2019,
2350-567: Was merged into Northeast Utilities. In 1999, Con Edison and Northeast Utilities entered negotiations that would have created one of the largest utilities in the United States. However, Con Edison backed out of the merger in 2001 after Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal threatened lawsuits to block it. Legislation passed in the late 1990s deregulated the electricity market in New England and required regulated utilities to divest generating stations to competitive suppliers. In 1999
2400-416: Was named chairman and chief executive. At the time he took charge of Northeast, the New England region's electricity prices were higher than the national average, and Sillin viewed nuclear power as the least expensive, most efficient, and cleanest energy option. Skyrocketing petroleum prices due to 1970s energy crises just reinforced this view. In addition to four "Yankee" nuclear plants already built by
2450-405: Was nevertheless critical of some nuclear operators who failed to strive for excellence in their work. Trained as an attorney, he first rose from general counsel to president and chief executive of Central Hudson Gas and Electric before ascending to the top of Northeast, Connecticut's largest public utility , a position he held from 1970 to 1983. He chaired the "Sillin Report", a 1986 analysis of
2500-450: Was the product of corporate mergers, and included the former Boston Edison Company, Cambridge Electric Light Company, Commonwealth Electric Company, Commonwealth Gas, and Cambridge Gas Company. All now currently operate under the Eversource name. Eversource remains Connecticut's largest electric utility, serving more than 1.2 million residential, municipal, commercial and industrial customers in approximately 149 cities and towns. Eversource
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