Aerial crew to help install new insulators
along transmission corridor
AKRON,
Ohio, Aug. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- American
Transmission Systems, Inc. (ATSI), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy
Corp. (NYSE: FE), is using helicopters and ground crews to replace
more than 550 insulators and attachments along a 35-mile section of
a transmission line that runs through Mahoning, Columbiana and Jefferson counties in northeast Ohio. The highly visible work will help ensure
the regional electric grid remains reliable and resilient.
The 138-kilovolt transmission line runs south from a substation
in Boardman Township to a
substation in Stratton and
traverses Beaver, Fairfield, Elkrun, Madison, Yellow
Creek and Saline townships.
Insulators separate high-voltage transmission lines from their
grounded support towers and help maintain safe, consistent delivery
of power.
Crews from Ohio Edison, another FirstEnergy subsidiary, will
perform a 10-mile portion of the insulator replacement work between
Boardman Township and the
Columbiana County line, while the
balance of the replacements will be handled by a contractor that
carries line workers to the top of the transmission towers via
helicopter. The line workers will be harnessed and lowered down
onto each structure to install the new insulators and attachments.
The helicopter will also lower the new materials for the assembly
and carry the old materials away.
This aerial method is more efficient than deploying ground crews
to each structure, which would require the creation of access roads
for large trucks and equipment. ATSI began replacing the insulators
in July and expects to complete the replacements along the corridor
this fall. The transmission line has been deenergized until the
work is complete but is not disrupting service to customers, who
are being served by an alternate power feed.
"By installing new, upgraded equipment along this high-voltage
line, we can help prevent potential power outages and ensure that
our transmission system continues to serve customers safely and
reliably in the future," said Carl
Bridenbaugh, FirstEnergy's vice president of
Transmission.
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 2014, FirstEnergy has upgraded
or replaced existing power lines, incorporated smart technology
into the grid and upgraded dozens of substations with new equipment
and enhanced security features. Through 2022, FirstEnergy had
invested more than $10 billion in the
Energizing the Future initiative.
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.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.