November 26, 2024

We have been awarded $50 million in federal funding by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Deployment Office for projects that will enhance electric service reliability for more than 53,000 Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers in West Virginia and Maryland. The funding is part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“We are deeply grateful to receive this funding from the Grid Deployment Office, which will support system enhancements that help keep the lights on for thousands of customers and hundreds of critical facilities across our service territory,” said Jim Myers, Vice President, Operations.

The funding will be applied toward system upgrades totaling nearly $127 million, benefiting approximately 50,660 customers in West Virginia and 2,500 customers in Maryland. Expected to be complete in late 2029, the work across 19 counties will be implemented by our Mon Power and Potomac Edison operating companies.

The planned upgrades will feature the installation of new technology and equipment that will help reduce the number and duration of outages that customers in those counties experience. The upgrades will also benefit more than 450 critical facilities such as schools and hospitals by improving electric service reliability.

The planned upgrades include:

• Installation of smart devices on power lines that allow operators to remotely isolate damage and reduce the number of customers affected by outages.
• Automation projects that allow utility personnel to automatically switch customers to an adjacent power line in the event of outages.
• Installation of new wires that can carry increased electrical current, making those lines capable of serving as a backup power feed for adjacent lines while repairs are made during an outage.

Earlier this fall, Mon Power was awarded $5 million in federal funding by the U.S. DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations for a project that will enhance electric service reliability for customers in parts of rural West Virginia.