The New York Power Authority last week announced the approval of a $14 million fiber-electronics equipment and installation services contract to improve the efficiency and reliability of the statewide electric power system.

The seven-year agreement will support NYPA’s multiphase Communications Backbone program, first announced in 2017, which involves installation of fiber optic cables and other communications systems throughout  NYPA’s more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission infrastructure and 16 clean hydroelectric and natural gas facilities.

“With the Power Authority’s Communication Backbone program, NYPA is literally working to create the telecommunications spine of our new, fully-digital utility,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. “Along with additional sensors currently being deployed across our facilities, we are building the next generation utility that will be more reliable and responsive to dynamic conditions on our power lines.”