Projects to enhance reliability for
more than 53,000 customers in West
Virginia and Maryland
FAIRMONT, W.Va., Nov. 14,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has
been awarded $50 million in federal
funding by the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Deployment Office
for projects that will enhance electric service reliability for
more than 53,000 Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers in
West Virginia and Maryland. The funding is part of the Grid
Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program established
by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The funding will be applied toward system upgrades totaling
nearly $127 million, benefiting
approximately 50,660 customers in West
Virginia and 2,500 customers in Maryland. Expected to be complete in late
2029, the work across 19 counties will be implemented by
FirstEnergy electric companies Mon Power and Potomac Edison.
The planned upgrades will feature the installation of new
technology and equipment that will help reduce the number and
duration of outages that customers in those counties experience.
The upgrades will also benefit more than 450 critical facilities
such as schools and hospitals by improving electric service
reliability.
Jim Myers, Vice President of
FirstEnergy's West Virginia and
Maryland Operations: "We are deeply grateful to receive this
funding from the Grid Deployment Office, which will support system
enhancements that help keep the lights on for thousands of
customers and hundreds of critical facilities across our service
territory."
The planned upgrades include:
- Installation of smart devices on power lines that allow
operators to remotely isolate the damage and reduce the number of
customers affected by outages.
- Automation projects that allow utility personnel to
automatically switch customers to an adjacent power line in the
event of outages.
- Installation of new wires that can carry increased electrical
current, making those lines capable of serving as a backup power
feed for adjacent lines while repairs are made during an
outage.
In Mon Power's service area, the upgrades are expected to
benefit approximately 47,260 customers in Barbour, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Harrison, Lewis, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Randoloph, Roane, Tucker, Upshur, Webster, Wetzel and Wood counties.
In Potomac Edison's service area, the upgrades will benefit
approximately 3,400 customers in Berkeley, Jefferson and Mineral counties in West Virginia and 2,500 customers in
Western Maryland.
The project includes the creation of a new four-year
apprenticeship program with training centers in Williamsport, Maryland, and Fairmont, West Virginia. FirstEnergy's
apprenticeship program helps address the continuing need for new
line workers and substation electricians, offering hired
apprentices paid, full-time employment that begins with the start
of their comprehensive training.
Earlier this fall, Mon Power was awarded $5 million in federal funding by the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations for a
project that will enhance electric service reliability for
customers in parts of rural West
Virginia.
Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Follow Mon Power
at mon-power.com, on X, formerly known as Twitter @MonPowerWV,
and on Facebook at facebook.com/MonPowerWV.
Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in seven counties
in Maryland and 155,000 customers
in the Eastern Panhandle of West
Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison at potomacedison.com,
on X @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 www.firstenergycorp.com and on
X @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.