CL&P's projection for restoring the "vast majority" of its customers was "Monday or Tuesday," according to William Quinlan, a senior vice president for the utility.
"This is an estimate, it is not a guarantee," Quinlan said, adding that pockets of customers in particularly difficult areas would probably go beyond that date.
Quinlan said about 2 percent of customers would likely fall into that category.
The number of lineman being brought in from outside the company was expected to go from 1,080 on Wednesday to about 2,000 in the next several days, Quinlan said.
Of the thousands of "trouble spots" still left to repair, Quinlan said, some involve trees on power lines but other — at least 1,000 — involve placing new poles.
"Our singular focus is on the 250,000 customers who remain without power," he said.