Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering selected for U.S. Department of Energy SPARK Award to expand grid capacity and deliver customer benefits through grid-enhancing technology
Eversource anticipates that, under specific conditions, added capacity could delay the need for certain new transmission facilities.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
Eversource (ES) and Dartmouth Engineering were selected for U.S. Department of Energy award negotiations on a grid-capacity initiative.
The DREAM initiative would deploy dynamic line rating across approximately 4,000 miles of Eversource transmission lines in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Subject to successful negotiations and a final award agreement, the initiative could receive approximately $47.7 million in funding and is expected to begin in 2027.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works
Positive
- Moderate pointDOE SPARK selection moves Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering into award negotiations for DREAM.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Potential funding of approximately $47.7 million could support the initiative, subject to a final agreement.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.DREAM would deploy dynamic line rating across approximately 4,000 miles of Eversource transmission lines.
Negative
- Minor pointSuccessful negotiations and a final award agreement are still required before the potential funding is secured.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Selection for award negotiations marks important step forward for initiative that will help increase transmission capacity, improve reliability and reduce customer costs by maximizing existing infrastructure
MANCHESTER, N.H., Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) under its Speed to Power (SPARK) program for an innovative initiative designed to improve reliability and keep costs as low as possible for customers. Referred to as the Dynamic Rating Enhancement Advancements and Modernization (DREAM) initiative, the collaboration between Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering will leverage grid-enhancing technologies to increase the capacity of the existing electric grid, enhance system resiliency, and help lower costs for customers.
As developed by Eversource and Professor Junbo Zhao’s team at Dartmouth, the DREAM initiative combines leading-edge research with utility expertise to advance practical solutions for the electric grid. By deploying dynamic line rating (DLR) technology across approximately 4,000 miles of Eversource's transmission network in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the initiative will provide operators with enhanced real-time visibility into system conditions and enable more efficient use of existing infrastructure. It will also leverage thermal field sensing to provide on-the-ground measurements of actual conditions, advanced weather forecasting, digital analytical models and operational integration that supports the decision-making process for remote system operators – ultimately providing more real-time data that reflects actual operating conditions in order to maximize use of the existing transmission system.
Inside Eversource’s System Operations Center
“We greatly appreciate the Department of Energy's investment in innovative solutions that can strengthen the New England electric grid and deliver significant reliability and affordability benefits to our customers,” said Bill Quinlan, President of Transmission at Eversource. “As demand for electricity continues to grow, the DREAM initiative will help us maximize the capability of our existing transmission system — which importantly will also help keep costs as low as possible for customers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with DOE and Dartmouth Engineering to demonstrate how advanced, state-of-the-art grid technologies can help meet the region's evolving energy needs with an ever-present focus on affordability for our customers.”
“Existing transmission lines can often carry more electricity than conventional ratings allow, but operators need reliable information about when that capacity is available and how to use it safely,” said Junbo Zhao, Todd M. Cook and Elizabeth Donohoe Cook Associate Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth. “DREAM brings together sensing, forecasting and digital twin analytics to turn that opportunity into practical tools for grid operations. Our partnership with Eversource offers an opportunity to move research into practice across an entire transmission network, helping deliver a more reliable and affordable electric grid for communities throughout New England.”
“New England's geography, climate, and growing energy demand make reliable power delivery especially challenging. By pairing Dartmouth's advanced modeling with Eversource's operational knowledge, we can get more out of existing transmission lines and improve energy security for our region. This is a perfect example of how innovation moves from our labs to real-world impact,” said Douglas Van Citters, Dean and Professor, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth.
By maximizing the capability of its existing transmission system, Eversource anticipates that – under specific conditions – the project could unlock additional transfer capability that may mitigate or delay the need to construct certain new transmission facilities. Such an approach is estimated to cost significantly less than what would be required to build equivalent new transmission infrastructure while also reducing congestion costs on constrained transmission corridors and creating additional value for customers.
The partnership will continue as Eversource and Dartmouth Engineering will work with DOE through the award negotiation process to further develop and demonstrate how dynamic line rating technology can increase transmission capacity, strengthen reliability and support evolving energy demands across the region with an emphasis on affordability for customers. Pending successful negotiations and execution of a final award agreement, the award could represent approximately
More information on the DOE’s SPARK program is available here.
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its commitment to sustainability and corporate citizenship, is named among America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek for 2026 and recognized as the #1 utility on USA Today’s list of America’s Climate Leaders for 2025. Eversource is New Hampshire’s largest electric utility, serving nearly 549,000 homes and businesses in 206 cities and towns. Eversource is proud to be recognized as the #1 contributor to United Way in New Hampshire. Eversource harnesses the commitment of more than 10,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy with superior customer service. The #1 Energy Efficiency Provider in the Nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About Dartmouth Engineering
Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering prepares engineering leaders to address society’s most pressing challenges through education, research and innovation centered on human needs. With an academic structure that encourages collaboration across disciplines, the school combines engineering expertise with Dartmouth’s liberal arts tradition and a commitment to practical impact. Its undergraduate and graduate programs emphasize hands-on learning, design and entrepreneurship, while faculty and students advance research across energy, health, computing, materials and other fields. Through partnerships with industry, government and communities, Dartmouth Engineering translates discoveries into solutions that improve lives. For more information, visit engineering.dartmouth.edu.
CONTACT:
Media Contact:
William Hinkle
603-634-2228
william.hinkle@eversource.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Rima Hyder
781-441-8882
rima.hyder@eversource.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2a9d653-fec8-4cb2-b1fa-63f8f04ea377
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