READING, Pa., Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Metropolitan Edison
Company (Met-Ed) is completing work on approximately $15.9 million of electric system projects as part
of a targeted 2017 program specifically designed to reduce the
number and duration of power outages experienced by the company's
560,000 customers.
The work involves installing enhanced protective devices on
wires and poles, rebuilding electric lines, including replacing
damaged insulators, poles, cross arms and wire, and installing
automated and remote control devices.
The projects are part of Met-Ed's 2016-2020 Long-Term
Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP) approved by the
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Ultimately, this
special program focuses on distribution infrastructure enhancement
projects in the Met-Ed service area, with a total of $77 million being spent through 2020 on system
improvements.
"The additional work is intended to benefit Met-Ed customers by
complementing the work we already do each year to enhance the
reliability of our electric system," said Ed Shuttleworth, regional president of
Met-Ed. "We continue working to make our system the best it
can be when it comes to limiting the number and duration of outages
our customers experience."
The LTIIP projects slated for completion this year in the Met-Ed
service area include:
- Replacing more than 750 porcelain protective switches on poles
and wires with new polymer devices. The switches – known as
"cutouts" – automatically open when a system irregularity is
detected, serving to protect the electrical equipment and limit the
number of customers affected by an outage. In 2017, protective
switches will be replaced on five circuits primarily in
Reading, Stroudsburg and Lebanon.
- Adding new connection points where circuits come together,
along with installing new devices, such as fuses and automated
switches, to help limit the number of customers affected when an
outage occurs. The work is designed to enhance reliability for
Met-Ed customers in the Boyertown,
Reading, Lebanon, York
and Stroudsburg areas.
- Installation of radio-controlled switches on electric circuits.
These devices can be operated remotely from the company dispatch
center, allowing operators to restore power more quickly and
efficiently than dispatching a crew to investigate. Met-Ed is
completing this work at 28 locations throughout its service
area.
- Completion of major line upgrade projects on eleven circuits.
This work includes installing news poles, wire, and other equipment
as needed.
- Replacement of 12,000 feet of cable in underground residential
developments.
- Installation of more than 430 new fuses throughout Met-Ed's
service area.
- Replacing 360 wood distribution poles throughout Met-Ed's
service area.
In 2018, Met-Ed is expected to spend an additional $13 million on similar projects.
Met-Ed, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), serves
approximately 560,000 customers in 15 Pennsylvania counties.
Follow Met-Ed on Twitter @Met Ed and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/MetEdElectric.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational
excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one
of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving
customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, West Virginia,
Maryland and New York. The
company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles
of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com
and on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of similar equipment being
installed as part of Met-Ed's Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement
Plan are available for download on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.