Reliability In Action: Littleton’s Hendrix Acs Success …

Utilities face mounting pressure to improve reliability and reduce power outage frequency while meeting rising electricity demand.

For the Littleton Electric Light & Water Departments (LELWD), Hendrix Aerial Cable Systems (ACS) by Marmon Utility has become an important part of building a stronger, more resilient overhead network for today and tomorrow.

In this episode of the Factor This podcast, host Paul Gerke is joined by Ted Gardner, application engineer for overhead solutions at Marmon Utility, and David Ketchen, assistant general manager of LELWD. Together, they explore how electrical utility providers can strengthen reliability through thoughtful distribution system design, discuss the role Hendrix ACS plays in Littleton Electric’s reliability strategy, and practical insights for utilities facing today’s evolving infrastructure challenges.

Ketchen reveals the factors that led Littleton to adopt Hendrix ACS, the performance improvements the utility has experienced over time, and how the system has helped reduce outages in tree-heavy and neighborhood service areas. Together, Ted and David examine the operational benefits of improved reliability, readiness for greater demand, and long-term system hardening that supports both utility operations and customer satisfaction.

As Hendrix celebrates 75 years of serving the utility industry, this conversation also highlights the value of engineering expertise, collaborative partnerships, and proven field performance in helping utilities modernize their overhead distribution systems. Whether you’re a utility executive, engineer, operations professional, or public power leader, this episode offers practical insights into strengthening distribution system reliability and building a more resilient electric grid.

Listen to the audio version of the podcast:

In this Episode

The advantages of Hendrix ACS

Traditional bare overhead systems are inherently unreliable because they’re exposed to the elements, argues Marmon’s Gardner. Since vegetation contact is the most common cause of an outage, deploying a solution supported by a heavy-duty messenger wire the Hendrix ACS provides an immediate resiliency upgrade to a given distribution circuit.

“It’s very resistant to tree contact, but also severe weather systems, ice, wind loading, and heavy snows as well,” Gardner explains on the podcast. “So to a certain extent, you get the reliability of an underground system, but way closer to the price and accessibility of an overhead system.”

Another advantage of the spacer cable system is its compact nature, added Gardner.

“We don’t take up a ton of room on the pole itself, so it allows you to put multiple circuits in a much smaller space on the pole. It’s a more efficient use of the same facilities,” he said.

David Ketchen’s LELWD provides electricity, water, and wastewater to two communities, Littleton and Foxborough, in central Massachusetts, a heavily forested area ripe for the use of the Hendrix ACS.

“We serve two pretty historic communities that don’t want us to just flatten all the trees down to make our system 100% reliable. So that’s just not an option,” Ketchen d.

Over the years, Ketchen’s team identified areas where storms would commonly bring down trees and make contact with bare wire on LELWD’s grid.

“They typically break whatever they hit, whether it be the wires or the poles,” he observed. “So when you’re responding to those calls during that situation, it’s a much different fix than what it is with this compact aerial spacer cable system.”

Hendrix ACS provides a compact overhead solution designed to improve reliability while fitting within space-constrained urban environments and community streets, those pictured in Grand Haven, Michigan. Courtesy: Marmon Utility

Littleton’s reliability journey

LLEWD hardened the spine of its system after a 2008 storm exposed critical vulnerabilities. From there, the utility addressed laterals that still had bare wire. It’s still a work in progress, but metrics are headed in the right direction.

“Our reliability statistics since I’ve been here have been extremely good compared to other municipal utilities in Massachusetts and nationally,” reported Ketchen. “That’s largely due to that build-out in 2008, but we have been, and we still are, making additional upgrades utilizing the Hendrix aerial cable system.”

Not much has changed for LLEWD customers since it began adopting the Hendrix ACS, other than their electricity staying on more frequently. Ketchen says the municipal utility has been mindful in keeping costs in check.

“We want to improve our reliability in a strategic manner that doesn’t break the bank, but you also see the benefits pretty quickly. So you really have to evaluate how your distribution system is set up,” he explained. “Here in Littleton, we have just one substation for our two communities, so it’s relatively easy for us to understand the priorities… Then you have to look at getting the most bang for your buck.”

Gardner recommends utilities look beyond the total installed cost and consider the reliability benefits decades down the line.

“That’s where spacer cable really shines,” he pointed out. “I don’t want to say it eliminates a lot of your O&M cost, but it significantly reduces it. You’re still going to need to trim the trees, but they don’t need nearly as much clearance.”

Lessons for other utilities

Other public power utilities considering covered conductor or aerial cable systems as part of their reliability strategy should keep a few things in mind. Marmon’s Gardner recommends being strategic about deployment, starting with the worst-performing circuits and working outward. Smart grid modernization tools can help utilities a lot, but at the end of the day, the condition of the physical grid makes or breaks reliability.

“The reality is, the vast majority of your system is still poles and wire,” Gardner put it bluntly. “You can have the smartest grid in the world, but if you build it on [a] house of cards…it’s an inherently unreliable system.”

“Hendrix is an incredible resource when trying to engineer or plan for these upgrades as well,” added LLEWD’s Ketchen. “They’ve helped us numerous times during engineering planning, also during actual installation, trying to teach our line workers the best way to do things and install things.”

“The electric utility world is a large industry, but we’re all facing similar problems. So don’t feel afraid to reach out to your neighbor for advice.”

Learn more about Hendrix ACS here.