Nearly 8,700 customers in rural communities
to benefit from the projects
FAIRMONT, W.Va., Oct. 16,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mon Power and Potomac Edison,
subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), are on track to
complete five projects by the end of 2024 that will enhance
electric service reliability for nearly 8,700 customers in rural
communities by reducing the number and duration of outages they
experience, particularly during severe weather.
The projects are part of a three-year West Virginia infrastructure investment pilot
program approved earlier this year by the Public Service Commission
of West Virginia as part of the
companies' base rate review proceeding.
The program benefits rural communities through reliability
projects, such as constructing backup power lines that will help
keep the lights on for customers if wires or equipment on their
regular line are damaged or need to be taken out of service. The
companies are also relocating hard-to-access power lines to more
accessible or less forested areas that will help reduce restoration
time if a service disruption does occur.
Jim Myers, Vice President of
FirstEnergy's West Virginia and
Maryland Operations: "Our three-year infrastructure
investment pilot program will make a meaningful impact for
customers in our rural communities by reducing their exposure to
outages and helping ensure they have safe, reliable power to
support their lives."
Representing $1.5 million in
infrastructure investments, the projects scheduled to be complete
and in service by the end of 2024 include:
- Berkeley
County: Reinforcing and rewiring a 1.8-mile backup
power line, benefiting 2,577 Potomac Edison customers in
Inwood.
- Marion, Monongalia and Preston counties: Relocating a half-mile
length of power line from a ravine to a more accessible and less
forested area. The relocation will make the line accessible via
bucket truck and will decrease the time needed to repair damage and
restore service. The project will benefit 2,091 customers located
in Fairmont, Gladesville,
Hebron and Ringgold.
- Nicholas County:
Converting 2.2 miles of a power line from a 4-kilovolt (kV) voltage
to 12-kV, enhancing reliability for 821 customers in Richwood.
- Pocahontas
and Greenbrier counties: Relocating a half-mile length of
power line from a cliffside to a more accessible area. The
relocation will decrease the time needed to restore service and
will benefit 1,707 customers in Renick, Modoc, Rorer, Horrock, Droop, Spice
and Hillsboro.
- Summers County:
Relocating a mile of power line from a cliffside to a more
accessible area. The relocation will decrease the time needed to
restore service and will benefit 1,472 customers in Browning,
Wiggins and Forest Hill.
Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Follow Mon Power
at mon-power.com, on X @MonPowerWV, and on Facebook
at facebook.com/MonPowerWV.
Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in seven counties
in Maryland and 155,000 customers
in the Eastern Panhandle of West
Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison at potomacedison.com,
on X @PotomacEdison, and on Facebook
at facebook.com/PotomacEdison.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, West Virginia,
Maryland and New York. The company's transmission
subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission
lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow
FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on
X @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.