Penelec completes first round of long-term infrastructure improvement plan
The Pennsylvania Electric Co. (Penelec) recently completed work on approximately $11 million of electric system projects as part of its 2016 long-term infrastructure improvement plan, which intends to reduce the number and duration of potential power outages experienced by customers.
The projects include installing enhanced protective devices on wires and poles, replacing electric lines and installing automated and remote control devices. Some of the projects include replacing about 2,600 porcelain protective switches on poles and wires, adding new connection points where circuits can be tied together, and upgrading the major lines of the Clearfield and Philipsburg areas.
“These projects benefit customers by complementing the work we already do each year to enhance the reliability of our electric system,” Scott Wyman, regional president of Penelec, said. “These projects benefit customers by complementing the work we already do each year to enhance the reliability of our electric system.”
The long-term infrastructure plan was approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission earlier in the year. The five-year program will ultimately result in an additional $56 million being spent by Penelec through 2020 on targeted distribution infrastructure enhancement projects.
Penelec, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is expected to spend an additional $11 million on similar long-term infrastructure projects in 2017.
