Penelec Completing Upgrades to Electric System in Central Pennsylvania

Rhea-AI Summary

Penelec, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is completing work to enhance its energy delivery system in Blair and Huntingdon counties to minimize service disruptions during severe weather. The project includes replacing equipment on a power line that delivers electricity to over 1,100 customers in Birmingham, Warriors Mark Township, Tyrone Township, and Sinking Valley. The project is part of Penelec's $200 million initiative to improve electric service reliability.

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• Penelec is investing $200 million to enhance its energy delivery system in Blair and Huntingdon counties, which will improve electric service reliability for over 1,100 customers in Birmingham, Warriors Mark Township, Tyrone Township, and Sinking Valley.

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Project to benefit customers in Birmingham, Warriors Mark and nearby areas

ERIE, Pa., May 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Penelec, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is completing work to enhance its energy delivery system in Blair and Huntingdon counties to help prevent or minimize the length of service disruptions, particularly during severe weather. The project includes replacing about 50 wood poles, crossarms, fuses, lightning protection devices and other equipment on a power line that delivers electricity to more than 1,100 customers in Birmingham, Warriors Mark Township, Tyrone Township and Sinking Valley.  

The project is part of Penelec's Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP II), a $200 million initiative to accelerate capital investments to the company's electric distribution system over five years and help ensure continued electric service reliability for customers.

"Over time, severe weather can take a toll on exposed electrical infrastructure, and this project allows us to proactively address equipment that has served us well for many years but was in need of an update," said Scott Wyman, president of FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania operations. "Utility poles are the backbone of the distribution system, and this work should enhance the reliability of electric service for our customers in these rural communities for years to come."

Penelec crews from Clearfield, Johnstown and Somerset are working cooperatively to rehabilitate this power line. They started the work in February, and it is expected to be completed in June.

As part of the project, crews are replacing one pole, 12 crossarms, 15 fuses and 12 devices that protect the wire from lightning strikes along a 34.5-kilovolt (kV) line that starts at an electric substation near the Grier School in Birmingham and heads northwest along Route 453 where it meets Pennington Road. Crews are working to replace 26 poles, 26 crossarms, numerous fuses and insulators along Pennington Road to Warriors Mark and then for several more miles along Ridge Road on a lower-voltage section of the line.

Additionally, crews have replaced 17 poles on a different spur of the same line running from the substation in Birmingham northwest through woods toward Ironville and continuing in the area of State Route 1015 through Sinking Valley. The remaining six poles to be set are located in fields near Elk Run and will require a track digger machine that can navigate hard-to-access spots to erect poles.

The Warriors Mark - Franklin Volunteer Fire Department allowed Penelec to stage material on its property, providing convenient access to the various work locations.  

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: A photo of new utility poles along Ridge Road is available for download on Flickr.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

What is Penelec doing to enhance its energy delivery system?

Penelec is replacing equipment on a power line to improve electric service reliability in Blair and Huntingdon counties.

How many customers will benefit from the project?

Over 1,100 customers in Birmingham, Warriors Mark Township, Tyrone Township, and Sinking Valley will benefit from the project.

How much is Penelec investing in the project?

Penelec is investing $200 million in the project.

What is the goal of Penelec's Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan?

The goal of the plan is to accelerate capital investments and ensure continued electric service reliability for customers.