Work Completed to Meet Future Energy Demands in Western Pennsylvania

Rhea-AI Summary

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has completed an electric system upgrade in eastern Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, through its subsidiary West Penn Power. The project involved rebuilding a 2-mile section of a 12-kilovolt distribution line along Unity Street-Unity Cemetery Road, benefiting over 500 customers in Unity Township.

The upgrade includes installation of larger diameter wire for increased electricity capacity, replacement of 15 utility poles, 70 crossarms, 200 aging insulators, and various hardware. This enhancement is part of the company's Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP) and Energize365 program, which plans to invest $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across six states for grid modernization.

The improvements will help prevent service disruptions, support voltage levels, and accommodate growth in the rural area. The upgraded line will also serve as a backup power source for customers in the Wimmerton housing plan during maintenance or service issues.

Positive

• Part of $26 billion grid modernization investment plan (2024-2028)
• Infrastructure upgrade increases power capacity and reliability for 500+ customers
• Enhanced backup power capabilities for Wimmerton housing plan
• Strategic positioning for future growth in rural area

Negative

• None.

Insights

Infrastructure Investment Analyst

This infrastructure upgrade in Westmoreland County is strategically significant despite its relatively modest scale. The project exemplifies FirstEnergy's proactive approach to grid modernization and represents a textbook example of how utilities can leverage their Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plans (LTIIP) to enhance their regulated asset base while improving reliability metrics.

The investment carries several key implications for investors:

• The upgrade contributes to FirstEnergy's rate base growth, as infrastructure improvements under LTIIP typically qualify for rate recovery, supporting stable returns on equity
• By proactively addressing voltage support and capacity needs in a growth area, FirstEnergy positions itself favorably with regulators, potentially smoothing future rate case proceedings
• The focus on rural development areas indicates strategic foresight in capturing organic growth opportunities, particularly important given the growth avenues available to regulated utilities

Within the context of FirstEnergy's $26 billion Energize365 program, this project demonstrates effective capital deployment at the local level, balancing immediate reliability improvements with long-term growth preparation. The voltage support enhancement is particularly noteworthy, as it addresses both current reliability needs and future capacity requirements, potentially deferring more costly upgrades later.

FirstEnergy line rebuild to benefit 500 West Penn Power customers

GREENSBURG, Pa., Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) doing business as West Penn Power in western Pennsylvania, has upgraded its electric system in eastern Westmoreland County to help prevent service disruptions, support voltage and accommodate growth. The work centered on rebuilding part of an existing power line with larger diameter wire capable of carrying more electricity, enabling customers to stay comfortable during frigid winter weather and summertime heat waves.

John Hawkins, FirstEnergy President, Pennsylvania: "We reconstructed part of a line parallelling Unity Street with new utility poles, wires, crossarms and other equipment to enhance electric service for more than 500 customers in Unity Township. This investment will help support voltage levels on our system to benefit existing customers and position the local grid to meet increased electrical load in a rural area poised for growth."

West Penn Power crews based in Latrobe recently completed work on a 2-mile section of the 12-kilovolt (kV) distribution line that runs along Unity Street-Unity Cemetery Road from Garfield Road to Auction Barn Road. The project includes:

• Installing larger diameter wire capable of transporting more electricity to meet the area's increasing electrical demand and support voltage levels for existing customers.
• Replacing 15 utility poles, 70 crossarms and other hardware with new equipment.
• Replacing 200 aging insulators and a number of fuses.

The increased capacity of the rebuilt line will also help keep lights on for customers in the Wimmerton housing plan when scheduled maintenance or other issues affect their normal lines. System operators will have the flexibility to temporarily provide power to those customers from the rebuilt line. 

Photos of newly installed poles and crews installing wire on Unity Street-Unity Cemetery Road near Latrobe are available on Flickr.

The project is part of FE PA's Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP), an initiative to accelerate capital investments in the electric distribution system serving West Penn Power and other service areas to help ensure continued electric service reliability for customers.

LTIIP is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's grid evolution program focused on investing $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across its six-state footprint to create a smarter, more secure grid that that delivers the power customers depend on today while also meeting the challenges of tomorrow.

West Penn Power serves approximately 725,000 customers in 24 counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on X @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at facebook.com/WestPennPower.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million 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 firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/work-completed-to-meet-future-energy-demands-in-western-pennsylvania-302372625.html

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

What improvements did FirstEnergy (FE) make to its West Penn Power infrastructure in Unity Township?

FirstEnergy rebuilt a 2-mile section of 12-kilovolt distribution line, installed larger diameter wire, replaced 15 utility poles, 70 crossarms, 200 insulators, and other hardware to enhance service for over 500 customers.

How much is FirstEnergy (FE) investing in its grid evolution program Energize365?

FirstEnergy is investing $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across its six-state footprint as part of the Energize365 grid evolution program.

How many customers will benefit from FirstEnergy's (FE) Unity Township power line upgrade?

The power line upgrade will enhance electric service for more than 500 customers in Unity Township, Pennsylvania.

What is the purpose of FirstEnergy's (FE) Unity Street power line rebuild project?

The project aims to prevent service disruptions, support voltage levels, accommodate growth, and provide backup power capabilities for the Wimmerton housing plan during maintenance or service issues.