ERIE,
Pa., Aug. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy
Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiary Penelec is on track this year to
install about 350 automated "TripSaver" reclosing devices along
neighborhood power lines in its service area to help limit the
frequency, duration and scope of service interruptions. The
programmable devices work like a circuit breaker in a home with the
added benefit of automatically re-energizing a power line within
seconds to keep power safely flowing to customers.
"TripSavers can allow us to automatically restore service to
customers rather than send a truck and crew to investigate the
issue, which is especially useful in remote areas of Penelec's vast
service territory," said Scott
Wyman, president of FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania operations. "These devices are
intended to provide safer and more efficient service restoration
for both our employees and our customers."
Penelec is in the fourth year of its five-year program to
install 2,000 TripSaver devices throughout its service area. The
work falls under the company's Long Term Infrastructure Improvement
Plan (LTIIP II), a $200 million
initiative to accelerate capital investments through 2024 to help
ensure continued electric service reliability for the company's
585,000 customers.
This year, crews are scheduled to install TripSavers in and
around the communities of Albion,
Altoona, Bedford, Bradford, Corry, Dubois, Ebensburg, Erie, Indiana, Johnstown, Lewistown, Mansfield, Meadville, Montrose, Oil
City, Phillipsburg, Shippensburg, Towanda and Warren.
Utility crews place TripSavers on neighborhood distribution
lines that branch off the main power line serving an area. When
there is a temporary problem with the line, such as a tree limb
contacting the line, the TripSaver can sense when the branch is
gone and automatically re-energize the line to prevent an extended
outage in the neighborhood – all in a matter of seconds.
If the TripSaver detects a more serious issue, such as a
fallen tree on the power line, it will isolate the outage to that
area and limit the total number of affected customers. The device's
smart technology quickly pinpoints the location of the electrical
fault and helps utility personnel better understand the cause of
the outage to help speed restoration.
Reliability engineers review outage information to identify the
best locations for TripSavers, typically distribution lines
with large customer counts in tree-filled areas. The new devices
replace some older equipment used to isolate damage and limit the
number of impacted customers.
Penelec serves approximately 585,000 customers within 17,600
square miles of northern and central Pennsylvania. Follow Penelec on Twitter
@Penelec and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric.
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 crews installing the
TripSaver devices are available for download on Flickr, and a video
of utility personnel explaining and installing a TripSaver device
can be found on YouTube.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.