FirstEnergy upgrading 20 mile transmission line in Ohio’s Belmont, Harrison counties
A subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. – American Transmission Systems, Inc. – began upgrades to a 20-mile stretch of high-voltage power line in Belmont and Harrison counties of eastern Ohio, as the third phase of a larger 64-mile project.
Over the course of work, an aging line will be rebuilt to a modern 138-kV line for enhanced reliability, resiliency and the ability to meet greater customer demand. Wood poles will be replaced with steel monopoles and larger wires will be rolled out to carry larger electrical loads. Work will likely continue into late 2024.
“This new, modern infrastructure is expected to help improve system performance and reduce the number of service interruptions customers experience,” Carl Bridenbaugh, FirstEnergy’s vice president of Transmission, said. “The work will also help us to meet the growing demand for safe, reliable power from homes and businesses in eastern Ohio in the future.”
Previous upgrades included a 13-mile segment in Columbiana and Carroll counties that finished in January and another 9-mile segment in Carroll and Harrison counties that completed in May. Through last year, FirstEnergy had invested more than $10 billion into the Energizing the Future initiative at the heart of these upgrades.
