CRANBERRY, Pa., Feb. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn Power, a
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric company, is upgrading and
expanding its power system in Butler
County, Pennsylvania, to support the future energy demands
of the area's rapidly growing population and help prevent lengthy
service disruptions during severe weather. Work underway includes
construction of a new 8,000-square-foot distribution substation and
installation of automated equipment and technology in substations
and along power lines serving more than 20,000 customers in parts
of Cranberry, Mars, Evans
City, Jackson Township and
nearby areas.
"This is an exciting time for economic development in our region
as more people realize Butler
County is a great place to live and work," said Scott Wyman, president of FirstEnergy's
Pennsylvania operations. "We're
proud to help advance development in the region while strengthening
our system to meet the growing demand for safe and reliable power
for many years to come."
As part of the construction process, utility personnel recently
started foundation work at the new substation site in Cranberry Township and will begin erecting
steel structures at the facility in the spring. The project
includes construction of a short, high-voltage power line to
connect the new substation with an existing power line located
nearby. Such ties offer a backup power feed that will help keep the
lights on for customers if wires or equipment on their regular line
are damaged or need to be taken out of service. The new substation
is expected to be completed and operational by the end of this
year.
Once the new facility is in use, hundreds of homes and
businesses in the area will benefit from the installation of new
automated reclosing devices in the substation and along power lines
that are fed from the facility that will help limit the frequency,
duration and scope of service interruptions.
The 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 to
limit the total number of affected customers. The device's 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.
This work builds upon vast electric system upgrades that were
completed over the past two years across Penn Power's service area.
Projects include the completion of a new distribution substation in
North Beaver Township,
Lawrence County, installation of
more than 300 automated reclosing devices and the addition of
interior fencing in five substations to help deter climbing animals
and protect against electrical equipment interference that can
cause power outages.
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 20% in areas where work has been completed since
2016.
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 on
Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online
at www.firstenergycorp.com.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.