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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 19, 2025) – Rhode Island Energy (RIE) is dedicated to providing a modern and reliable power grid for customers. To enhance grid reliability and reduce power outages, RIE has invested $3 million in installing 40 smart switches across the state by March 31.

“These smart switches will not only enhance the quality of the grid, they will help reduce the number of outages our customers experience as well as the duration of the outages that do occur,” said Rhode Island Energy President Greg Cornett. “This is just one example of our investments to improve and modernize our electric system to deliver significant reliability benefits to our customers.”

Smart switches, also known as “self-healing technology,” act like circuit breakers on the main power lines. When a tree branch or wildlife cause a disruption, the smart switch shuts off power and then attempts to restore it after a short period. If the issue persists, the switch will remain off until a crew can fix it. 

Tree branches are a common cause of power outages, especially during storms. Instead of crews spending hours manually identifying and fixing the problem, the smart switches’ software will automatically locate and isolate the issue, restoring power to as many customers as possible within minutes. Line crews will be armed with better information to guide them to the problem area and make repairs much sooner. 

“These switches are being installed on specific electric lines across our state that have seen a higher number of customer outages – which means customers will see an immediate benefit,” Cornett added.

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About Rhode Island Energy

Rhode Island Energy provides essential energy services to over 770,000 customers across Rhode Island through the delivery of electricity or natural gas. Our team of more than 1,300 employees is dedicated to helping Rhode Island customers and communities thrive, while supporting the transition to a cleaner energy future. Rhode Island Energy is part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient, and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. For more information visit www.RIEnergy.com and stay connected on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.