Projects designed to enhance electric
service reliability for nearly 5,000 customers
GREENSBURG, Pa., Aug. 14,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- West Penn Power, a subsidiary of
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is upgrading its electrical
distribution system in Westmoreland
County to help prevent lengthy service interruptions,
particularly during severe weather. The work includes replacing
utility poles and installing animal guards, fuses and other
protective devices on power lines.
"Our crews are working on three projects designed to help reduce
both the number and duration of power outages for a combined 4,800
customers," said Scott Wyman,
president of FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania operations. "This work is part of
more than $100 million invested since
2016 to accelerate improvements to the local electric system that
powers homes and businesses across West Penn Power's service
area."
The upgrades are part of West Penn Power's Long Term
Infrastructure Improvement Plan II, a $147
million initiative to accelerate capital investments to the
company's electric distribution system over five years to help
ensure continued electric service reliability for customers.
West Penn Power line crews are working at 70 locations along a
31-mile power line that serves nearly 1,800 customers in
North Huntingdon Township in the
areas of Guffey, Robbins Station Road and Clay Pike. Crews will replace 18 wooden utility
poles – raising the height of many by 5 feet to improve clearances
and provide space to accommodate broadband cable or other future
attachments – and 47 crossarms. Additionally, crews will install
new wildlife guards to help prevent squirrels and other climbing
animals from contacting transformers and disrupting electric
service.
The project also includes installing 55 new fuses on the line.
Fuses are protective devices that open automatically when they
detect a system irregularity, such as a tree branch contacting the
wire. Fuses safeguard electrical equipment from damage while
limiting the scope of outages to smaller sections of a power line.
This results in fewer customers impacted by outages caused by
trees, vehicle accidents or equipment issues. The work is expected
to be completed by the end of summer.
Further north in the county, West Penn Power crews are
installing 53 new lightning-protection devices and 47 fuses on a
distribution line that serves more than 1,300 customers in
Murrysville. The 30-mile circuit
provides electricity to numerous housing plans in the North Hills
Road area, including Foxwood Estates, Windbrook Estates, Ramsgate,
Friesell and Murrysville Manor near the Old William Penn Highway.
This project is slated for completion by late August.
The third project targets the replacement of 19 poles that have
stood for decades along a 65-mile line in Salem Township. The power line serves about
1,700 customers in the areas of Congruity Road, Old Route 22, Route
819 and the Williamsburg and
Monticello housing plans. Many of the new poles will stand 5 feet
taller than the ones they replace to provide more clearance. The
job is scheduled for completion later this summer.
West Penn Power serves approximately 737,000 customers in 24
counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on
Twitter @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/WestPennPower.
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: A photo of West Penn Power crews
installing new equipment to upgrade the electric distribution
system in Westmoreland County is
available on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.