Potomac Edison Completes Substation Project in Jefferson County, West Virginia to Accommodate Load Growth

Upgrades Designed to Handle High Winter Electric Usage in Area

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Nov 18, 2016, 12:21 ET

WILLIAMSPORT, Md., Nov. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has completed equipment upgrades at a substation in Jefferson County, West Virginia, to enhance service reliability and help meet high winter demand for electricity for about 2,200 customers in the Ranson and Charles Town areas.

The centerpiece of the $1 million project was replacing one of the substation's two distribution transformers with a larger unit, which increased the system's capacity without having to expand the substation's footprint or build new power lines. Completed in October, the substation upgrade also included replacing existing fuses with a new circuit breaker to safeguard the new transformer when irregularities are detected on the electric system.

"Expanding the capacity of this substation was needed because this area of Jefferson County often experiences increased electric usage in the winter due to most customers heating their homes with electricity," said James A. Sears, Jr., vice president of Potomac Edison. "The transformers in our substation were operating at or near their capacities, so this new equipment is a welcome upgrade that will help our customers stay warm in the winter, enhance their service reliability, and position our system to meet the demands of a growing area."

Substation construction crews used a heavy-duty crane to remove the old transformer through a temporary opening in the substation fence to avoid nearby power lines. After weeks of preparation work, the transformer contractor placed the new transformer into place on its pad. The new transformer measures about 19 feet long by 12 feet wide by 12 feet tall, and weighs more than 83,000 pounds.

The project is one of numerous distribution and transmission infrastructure projects totaling $128 million that FirstEnergy Corp. expects to complete in 2016 for the Potomac Edison service area.

Potomac Edison serves about 257,000 customers in seven Maryland counties and 137,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Follow Potomac Edison on Twitter @PotomacEdison.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and follow on Twitter at @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: Photos of the new transformer near Potomac Edison's substation near Ranson, W.Va. are available for download on Flickr.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.