ASHLAND,
Ohio, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
Construction is underway on a new transmission substation in
Ashland County, Ohio, owned by
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiary American Transmission
Systems, Incorporated, to meet the area's future energy demands and
support economic growth. The work is also expected to help reduce
the frequency and duration of power outages experienced by
customers in the area.
The new infrastructure, which includes construction of two
short, high-voltage lines along with the substation, will
strengthen the transmission system and benefit customers in the
region, including more than 22,000 Ohio Edison customers in
Milton Township, Ashland and nearby communities.
"The new substation will act as a hub, tying in several adjacent
transmission lines to provide increased flexibility and resiliency
to our system," said Carl
Bridenbaugh, FirstEnergy's vice president of Transmission.
"These upgrades are designed to enhance service reliability for our
customers now and also in the future as we continue to experience
economic growth in the region."
As part of the $11.6 million
project, utility crews recently began laying the foundation and
will begin to erect steel structures at the new 89,500-square-foot
substation site in Milton Township
this spring. In addition, crews will construct two short power
lines to connect the new substation to existing 138-kilovolt (kV)
lines 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.
When complete, the new facility will tie in five high-voltage
power lines that will channel power to local lines serving towns
and communities. A steel monopole will be installed on each side of
the substation to connect the new power lines to the facility.
The work underway in Ashland
County began in September 2021
and is expected to be completed this August. Additional work
completed in the area includes the installation of new automated
technology and equipment to enhance service reliability for
hundreds of residents and businesses.
The project is part of Energizing the Future, a
multi-year initiative designed to upgrade FirstEnergy's
transmission system with advanced equipment and technologies that
will reinforce the power grid and help reduce the frequency and
duration of customer outages. Since launching the initiative in
2014, FirstEnergy has achieved a 50% reduction in equipment-related
transmission outages across its Ohio service area, as well as the Penn Power
and West Penn Power territories in western Pennsylvania.
Ohio Edison serves more than
one million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on Twitter
@OhioEdison, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioEdison and online
at www.ohioedison.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.
Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.