Plan filed to build on project's success
through second phase of smart grid technology
investments
TOLEDO,
Ohio, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Toledo
Edison, a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric company, is
wrapping up smart grid upgrades in Lucas
County to help prevent or minimize the length of service
disruptions, particularly during severe weather. The work includes
installation of new, automated equipment and technology in
substations and power lines serving more than 59,000 customers in
parts of Toledo, Holland, Maumee and nearby areas. Upgrades began in
2020 under the company's initial three-year portfolio of
grid modernization work and is on track to be completed
this summer.
![Toledo Edison Logo (PRNewsfoto/FirstEnergy Corp.) Toledo Edison Logo (PRNewsfoto/FirstEnergy Corp.)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/546014/Toledo_Edison_Logo.jpg)
"Every project is customized and designed to address the
particular reliability needs of each community," said Ed Shuttleworth, president of FirstEnergy's
Ohio operations. "These upgrades
will allow us to restore service to our customers faster following
severe weather events as well as pave the way for a more robust
power system that has advanced technology to support different
types of energy sources in the years to come."
Utility personnel are finalizing electrical equipment upgrades
in seven substations in the greater Toledo area and modernizing 31 power lines
that deliver electric service to customers from those facilities.
Thousands of homes and businesses in the area will benefit from the
installation of 134 new automated reclosing devices in the
substations and along power lines to 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 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.
Additional power lines that tie together existing circuits are
also being constructed to provide more flexibility in restoring
service following outages. 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.
Lastly, nearly 140 capacitor banks were installed to help ensure
all customers served by a single power line receive the same flow
of safe, reliable power by evenly distributing electricity down the
line. These devices are expected to reduce energy usage for
customers served near the beginning of a power line because they
will benefit from optimized power voltages being fed into their
homes or businesses.
Beyond the company's investments in power lines and equipment,
Toledo Edison has installed nearly 130,000 smart meters for
customers in Lucas County since
2020. As the latest in metering technology, smart meters enable
customers to better track their energy consumption and minimize
estimated readings. Smart meters also can be leveraged by customers
electing to enroll in programs like time-varying rates, which can
provide price incentives to reduce electricity use during high
demand periods throughout the day.
FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities,
including Toledo Edison, recently filed a plan with the Public
Utilities Commission of Ohio
(PUCO) that would expand smart grid technology investments.
The filing, known as Ohio Grid Mod II, proposes a four-year,
$626 million investment plan that
builds upon system upgrades completed since the PUCO approved the
utilities' Grid Mod I plan in 2019.
"The projects we've completed under the first phase of our grid
modernization plan have proven to be successful in reducing many
power interruptions," said Shuttleworth. "This has laid the
foundation for us to further enhance service reliability across our
entire service area in Ohio,
including northwest Ohio."
In addition to power infrastructure upgrades, the proposed plan
also includes several pilot programs that could provide enhanced
customer benefits, such as installing automated devices in
neighborhoods throughout Toledo Edison's service area that are
prone to animal- or tree-related outages, implementing programs
designed to support the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and
installing a battery energy storage system designed to support
increased EV charging load along the Ohio Turnpike.
Toledo Edison serves nearly 315,000 customers in northwest
Ohio. Follow Toledo Edison on
Twitter @ToledoEdison or on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/ToledoEdison.
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 Toledo Edison crews
completing the grid modernization work under the previously
approved plan are available for download on Flickr. Video
footage/B-Roll of utility crews completing grid modernization work
can be viewed and downloaded here.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.