Energy grid enhancements in Portage County, Ohio near completion

Ohio Edison, a FirstEnergy electric company, said it is nearly finished with energy grid enhancements in northern Portage County, Ohio.

The enhancements, the company said, will not only provide an alternative source of power for businesses and residents in the Mantua area but will also help promote economic growth, the company said.

“The work in Mantua provides new equipment capabilities and backup power lines that will meet the energy needs of industrial customers looking to relocate or establish their business here,” Pat Mullin, acting president of FirstEnergy’s Ohio operations, said. “This project complements grid modernization work completed across our entire service area over recent years that has resulted in fewer and shorter outages, particularly during the winter and summer storm seasons.”

The company said it had relocated and replaced approximately two miles of power lines along State Route 44 with new aluminum wire over the past six months. The new wire can carry more electricity and makes the line more resilient against lightning, wind, and abnormal weather conditions, the company said. Crews also installed more than 20 new transformers to provide safe and flexible voltage ranges.

With that work done, a local construction company will develop a property off Beck Road to suit energy-intensive customers in the future, the company said, which will also strengthen the local energy delivery system by providing backup power feed to keep the lights on if wires or equipment on their regular line are damaged or need to be taken out of service.

The company plans to complete tree-trimming work along local power lines this year to reinforce existing infrastructure and minimize severe weather damage.