MORRISTOWN, N.J., Nov. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In preparation
for winter, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a
subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is completing
inspections and conducting equipment maintenance on
weather-sensitive equipment across its service area.
Winter's cold temperatures can produce increased demand for
electricity, and heavy snow and wind have the potential to cause
damage to poles, wires and substations, requiring crews to make
repairs in difficult conditions. Completing inspections and
equipment maintenance now can help to enhance system resiliency
when the snow begins to fly.
"Conducting winter maintenance procedures for our
infrastructure, combined with fleet maintenance designed to prepare
our vehicles for winter weather, make a difference when the weather
turns cold," said Mark Jones, vice
president of Operations, JCP&L. "Preparing now for
potential severe weather conditions helps enhance the service we
provide to our customers."
The work includes inspecting heating equipment for substation
components, such as capacitor banks, transformers, oil- and
gas-filled circuit breakers. Some substations also include
buildings that house remote-controlled relay equipment. These
structures will be winterized and have the heating systems
checked.
Substation electricians also inspect batteries used to power
relays that sense faults on the network and motors that
automatically operate switches to isolate those problems, helping
to prevent service interruptions or limit their size and
scope. Crews use special thermal-imaging cameras to detect
hot spots invisible to the naked eye on equipment prone to
overheating and malfunctioning as customers crank up their heaters
to combat the cold.
Company bucket trucks and other vehicles also are being
inspected to help ensure safe operation during the winter
season. Special emphasis is placed on the condition of tires
and any air braking systems, which can freeze up if moisture is
present. In addition, snow removal equipment is being
checked. The plows are used to help crews gain access to
substations, and to clear the work areas and sidewalks at company
service garages and other facilities.
Helicopter patrols also are completing inspections of
transmission lines located in the JCP&L area. The
inspections are designed to look for damaged wire, broken cross
arms, failed insulators, and other hardware problems not visible
from the ground. Any potential reliability issues identified
during the inspection may then be addressed.
In addition, tree trimming throughout the year helps meet the
rigors of winter operations by maintaining proper clearances around
electrical systems and helping to protect against tree-related
outages. JCP&L tree contractors expect to complete tree
trimming along more than 3,600 circuit miles of electric lines in
2017.
Employee safety also is a priority during the winter.
JCP&L's cold-weather operational procedures are reviewed with
linemen, substation electricians, and meter readers in advance of
any frigid conditions. JCP&L personnel often take extra
measures to stay warm when working in extreme cold to restore power
after an outage. Crews also could be delayed by treacherous
driving conditions.
FirstEnergy's utilities also have made it easier for customers
to check the progress of service restoration efforts if they
experience a power outage during severe winter weather. The
company's 24/7 Power Center outage maps now display the status of
crews restoring service after a power outage. With this
enhancement, FirstEnergy utility customers can see when crews have
been dispatched, when they are working on a repair, and when
additional crews or equipment are needed to complete restoration
work. This information also is provided through the
companies' web-based outage information, and text messaging and
alert services.
JCP&L serves 1.1 million New
Jersey customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union
and Warren. Follow JCP&L on
Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL or online
at www.jcp-l.com.
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 on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or
online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
Editor's Note: Photos of FirstEnergy's utilities'
winter inspection and maintenance program are available for
download on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.