FirstEnergy aims to finish northeast Ohio power line upgrade by end of year
FirstEnergy Corp. is on track to complete upgrades to a 138 kV power line in northeast Ohio by year’s end, bringing the potential for enhanced reliability to the service of more than 100,000 customers of subsidiary Ohio Edison in Portage and Trumbull counties.
The project involves a complete rebuild and modernization of the existing line. In all, since work began in May, nearly 140 wooden and steel structures will have been replaced with new, higher-capacity conductor wires and fiber optic cables added. Work extends across 20 miles of line, reaching electric substations in Newton Falls and Ravenna, Ohio.
“Investing in our infrastructure is crucial because it will help reduce the number of customers impacted by storm outages as well as shorten the length of outages when they do occur,” Ed Shuttleworth, regional president of Ohio Edison and Penn Power, said. “By rebuilding an existing line, we can enhance our ability to serve customers, better manage maintenance expenses, and minimize the project’s impact on local communities and the environment.”
The higher capacity wires should leave the line better equipped to face inclement weather and reduce outages overall. Fiber optics will also bring enhanced network communication opportunities, which will allow grid operators to react quickly to address system interruptions. The upgrades are part of a larger project known as Energizing the Future, a multi-year investment effort by FirstEnergy to update equipment and reinforce its grid.