Project to reduce outages for 1,800 Potomac
Edison customers in West Virginia
and Maryland
WILLIAMSPORT, Md., Aug. 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE)
subsidiary Potomac Edison has started construction on a new
substation in Morgan County, West
Virginia, that is expected to enhance reliability for 1,800
area customers. Fed by a more reliable power line, the facility
will feature new technology and equipment that will also help
reduce the number and duration of outages.
Located in Great Cacapon, the
new substation will replace an existing substation nearby that is
fed by a six-mile, 34.5-kilovolt (kV) power line that runs along
rocky and mountainous terrain. The line is challenging to access
for repairs when severe weather causes damage. Located on a 20-acre
parcel owned by Potomac Edison, the new substation will be fed by
an existing 138-kV power line that is easier to access by field
personnel and less vulnerable to service interruptions,
particularly during severe weather.
Hundreds of homes and businesses in the area will benefit from
the installation of new automated reclosing devices in the
substation that will help limit the frequency, duration and scope
of service interruptions.
These electrical devices work like a circuit breaker in a home
that shuts off power when trouble occurs, with the added benefit of
automatically reenergizing a substation or power line within
seconds for certain types of outages to keep power safely flowing
to customers. This technology is safer and more efficient because
it often allows electric company personnel to automatically restore
service to customers rather than sending a crew to investigate,
which is especially beneficial in rural areas like Morgan County.
If the device senses a more serious issue, like a fallen tree on
electrical equipment, it will isolate the outage to that area and
limit the total number of affected customers. The device's smart
technology will quickly pinpoint the location of the fault and help
utility personnel better understand the cause of the outage to help
speed restoration.
Don McGettigan, FirstEnergy's
Acting President, Maryland:
"This new infrastructure will make a real difference for customers
in the Great Cacapon area and will
help ensure we can deliver the safe, reliable power they depend
on."
The new substation is expected to be completed and operational
in 2025, serving approximately 1,600 customers in the
Great Cacapon area and 200 in Little
Orleans, Maryland. The existing substation and connecting
power line will ultimately be removed after customers are migrated
to the new substation.
The $4 million project is part
of Energize365, a multi-year grid evolution program focused
on transmission and distribution investments that will deliver the
power FirstEnergy's customers depend on today while also meeting
the challenges of tomorrow. With planned investments of
$26 billion between 2024 and 2028,
the program will create a smarter, more secure grid that will meet
and exceed reliability targets and accommodate electric vehicles,
the electrification of homes and businesses, and clean energy
sources.
Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in all or parts of
Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery and Washington counties in Maryland and about 151,000 customers in the
Eastern Panhandle of West
Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison at potomacedison.com,
on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PotomacEdison, and on
Facebook at facebook.com/PotomacEdison.
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.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.