AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp.
(NYSE: FE) and its subsidiaries are rebuilding and modernizing an
existing transmission line to enhance service reliability for Ohio
Edison customers in Portage and
Trumbull counties. When completed
later this month, the upgraded line will reinforce the local
electric system and use smart technologies to help reduce the
frequency and duration of power outages.
The $26 million project involves
replacing the existing 69-kilovolt (kV) line with a new set of
poles and wires that will connect existing electric substations in
Garrettsville and Newton Falls, Ohio. New switching devices that
can be remotely monitored and controlled are being added to the
line to allow grid operators to respond to operational conditions
more quickly, which can prevent or reduce the duration of power
outages.
New equipment will also be added to the two substations to
handle the line's increased capacity and support growing electric
demand. Construction is now underway, with the new line expected to
be energized by the end of this year.
"By rebuilding and modernizing an existing line, we can enhance
our ability to serve customers while minimizing the project's
impact on local communities and the environment," said Randy Frame, regional president, Ohio Edison.
"The new line and remote-control equipment will help strengthen and
modernize the grid, and increase the flexibility and redundancy of
our system."
The project is part of Energizing the Future, a
multi-year investment initiative aimed at upgrading FirstEnergy's
transmission facilities with advanced equipment and technologies
that will reinforce the power grid and help reduce the frequency
and duration of customer outages. Since 2014, FirstEnergy has
upgraded or replaced existing transmission lines, incorporated new,
smart technology into the grid, and outfitted dozens of substations
with new equipment and enhanced security features. These
upgrades are producing reliability improvements across the
company's transmission system.
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.
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firstenergy-transmission-project-in-northeast-ohio-nearing-completion-300568619.html
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.