Penn Power begins electric infrastructure upgrades in Mercer, Crawford counties
Upgrades on the power grid infrastructure in Mercer and Crawford counties in Pennsylvania will reduce the number and length of outages customers experience, energy company Penn Power said.
The work is part of Penn Power’s second phase Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIP II) and will reinforce the local power grid, the company said, preventing lengthy service disruptions, especially during severe weather. Work includes the installation of new, automated equipment and technology in distribution substations and along neighborhood power lines serving more than 15,000 customers in western Pennsylvania.
“The work underway in Mercer and Crawford counties will reduce many power interruptions to just a brief or momentary outage, which will be particularly beneficial to customers in rural, tree-filled areas,” said Scott Wyman, president of FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania operations. “This work complements upgrades completed across our entire service area over recent years that have resulted in fewer and shorter outages, mainly during severe weather events.”
The company said the work started in April and is expected to be completed this fall. So far, company investments to upgrade the local energy grid have reduced the number and length of outages by up to 20 percent in areas where work has been completed.
The upgrades include installing nearly 20 new automated reclosing devices in substations and along neighborhood powerlines to help limit service interruptions. The reclosing devices work like circuit breakers to shut off power when trouble occurs and automatically reenergize a substation or power line within seconds during certain types of outages. The company said the technology is safer and more efficient because it allows personnel to automatically restore service instead of sending out crews to investigate.
If the device senses a more serious issue, like a downed tree on electrical equipment, it will isolate the outage and limit the number of affected customers. The smart technology can pinpoint the location of the problem and help utility personnel identify the cause of the outage, speeding up restoration.
The upgrades will also include automated voltage regulators to ensure safe, constant voltage levels on extremely cold or hot days that create high demand and additional power lines to provide more flexibility in restoring energy during outages.
