FirstEnergy begins upgrade to Pennsylvania electric system

FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA) announced on Thursday that it had begun installing automated reclosing devices and other equipment to upgrade its electric system.

The substation devices provide service to more than 8,000 customers of the company, doing business as Penelec. The upgrades will help prevent lengthy service interruptions during severe weather and at other times, officials said.

“Substation upgrades play a major role in preventing power outages because they manage the flow of electricity to homes and businesses,” Scott Wyman, President of FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania Operations. “This important work is part of our Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan II, a $200 million initiative that will accelerate investments in our Penelec system over five years to help ensure continued reliable electric service for our customers.”

The automated recloser devices work like circuit breaks to shut off power when trouble occurs. The reclosers have the added benefit of automatically re-energizing a substation or power line within seconds for certain types of outages, officials said. The devices keep power flowing to customers and are safer and more efficient when it comes to restoring power. The reclosers also allow the company to isolate the outage to that area and limit the number of affected customers, and help utility personnel quickly pinpoint the location and cause of an outage.

Other upgrades include batteries to provide backup power, protective devices to safeguard sensitive components from lightning, and insulators. The upgrades are part of Energize 365, a multi-year grid evolution program of more than $26 billion in planned investments between 2024 and 2028.