We have upgraded the electric system in eastern Westmoreland County, Pa., to help prevent service disruptions, support voltage and accommodate growth. The work centered on rebuilding part of an existing power line with larger diameter wire capable of carrying more electricity, enabling customers to stay comfortable during frigid winter weather and summertime heat waves.

“We reconstructed part of a line with new utility poles, wires, crossarms and other equipment to enhance electric service for more than 500 customers in Unity Township,” said John Hawkins, President, Pennsylvania. “This investment will help support voltage levels on our system to benefit existing customers and position the local grid to meet increased electrical load in a rural area poised for growth.”

The rebuild project – which was completed by West Penn Power crews based out of Latrobe Service Center – focused on a two-mile section of a 12-kilovolt (kV) distribution line and included the following:

• Installing larger diameter wire capable of transporting more electricity to meet the area’s increasing electrical demand and support voltage levels for existing customers.
• Replacing 15 utility poles, 70 crossarms and other hardware with new equipment.
• Replacing 200 aging insulators and a number of fuses.

This project is part of phase three of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company’s (FE PA) Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP), an initiative to accelerate capital investments in the electric distribution system to help enhance service reliability for our more than two million customers across the state.

LTIIP III is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy’s grid evolution program focused on investing $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across our six-state footprint to create a smarter, more secure grid that that delivers the power customers depend on today while also meeting the challenges of tomorrow.