More than 15,000 customers in Mercer and Crawford counties expected to benefit from
work
CLARK,
Pa., June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn Power,
a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric company in western
Pennsylvania, is upgrading
infrastructure in Mercer and
Crawford counties to reinforce the
local power grid and prevent lengthy service disruptions,
especially during severe weather. Work includes installation of
new, automated equipment and technology in distribution substations
and along neighborhood power lines serving more than 15,000
customers in Transfer,
Greenville, Hermitage, West
Middlesex, Wheatland,
Conneaut and nearby areas.
The work started in April and is expected to be completed this
fall. It is part of Penn Power's second phase Long Term
Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP II), approved by the
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to help enhance electric
service for customers. The company's investments to upgrade the
local energy grid have successfully reduced the number and length
of outages customers experience by up to 20% in areas where work
has been completed.
"The work underway in Mercer
and Crawford counties will reduce
many power interruptions to just a brief or momentary outage, which
will be particularly beneficial to customers in rural, tree-filled
areas," said Scott Wyman, president
of FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania
operations. "This work complements upgrades completed across our
entire service area over recent years that have resulted in fewer
and shorter outages, mainly during severe weather events."
Hundreds of homes and businesses in the area will benefit from
the installation of nearly 20 new automated reclosing devices in
the substations and along neighborhood power lines that will help
limit the frequency, duration and scope of service interruptions.
These electrical devices work like a circuit breaker in a home that
shuts off power when trouble occurs, with the added benefit of
automatically reenergizing a substation or power line within
seconds for certain types of outages to keep power safely flowing
to customers. This technology is safer and more efficient because
it often allows utility personnel to automatically restore service
to customers in lieu of sending a crew to investigate.
If the device senses a more serious issue, like a fallen tree on
electrical equipment, it will isolate the outage to that area and
limit the total number of affected customers. The smart technology
will quickly pinpoint the location of the fault and help utility
personnel better understand the cause of the outage to help speed
restoration.
Automated voltage regulators are also being installed to help
ensure safe, constant voltage levels along power lines on extremely
cold or hot days that create high demand for electricity. In
addition to preventing voltage issues for customers, the devices
could potentially reduce energy usage for some customers served
near the beginning of a power line because they will benefit from
lower power voltages being fed into their homes or businesses.
Lastly, additional power lines are being constructed to provide
more flexibility in restoring outages due to events such as storms
and vehicle accidents. The new power lines will help reduce the
length and overall number of customers impacted during an outage by
switching them to a backup line for faster service restoration.
Penn Power serves more than 160,000 customers in all or parts of
Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Lawrence and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania. Follow Penn Power on
Twitter @Penn_Power, on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/PennPower, and online
at www.pennpower.com.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, 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 approximately 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 Penn Power crews installing
the new automated equipment are available for download
on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.