Power System Upgrades Underway to Enhance Electric Service for West Virginia Residents and Businesses

New substation equipment to benefit more than 13,000 Mon Power customers in six counties

FAIRMONT, W.Va., Aug. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric company Mon Power is replacing and upgrading equipment at eight transmission substations in its West Virginia service territory to help prevent or minimize the impact of power outages for more than 13,000 customers who are served by high-voltage power lines connected to the substations.

The work involves replacing existing substation equipment with new communication equipment, including electrical relays containing technology that helps reduce the frequency and severity of potential outages caused by issues such as animal contacts and tree-related damage. The primary purpose of a relay is to protect the electrical system from too high of a voltage or current without causing unnecessary outages, allowing the safe operation of equipment to which it connects. 

The substations are located in the Kingwood, Parkersburg, Pruntytown, Spencer, Sutton and Weirton areas in Preston, Wood, Taylor, Roane, Braxton and Hancock counties, respectively. Mon Power started the upgrade projects in the spring and expects to complete the work by the end of the year.

Jim Myers, Vice President of First Energy's West Virginia and Maryland Operations: "By minimizing the impact of power outages, especially during severe weather in rural areas, we are helping ensure the delivery of reliable power to thousands of customers. These upgrades will not only enhance our system's performance but also contribute to the overall economic stability and well-being of the communities we serve in West Virginia."

This work builds upon system enhancements Mon Power completed last year at its substations in the Clarksburg and Fairview areas, which benefited more than 5,500 customers served by connecting transmission lines.

The projects are part of Energize365, a multi-year grid evolution program focused on transmission and distribution investments that will deliver the power FirstEnergy's customers depend on today while also meeting the challenges of tomorrow. With planned investments of $26 billion between 2024 and 2028, the program will create a smarter, more secure grid that will meet and exceed reliability targets and accommodate electric vehicles, the electrification of homes and businesses, and clean energy sources.

Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Follow Mon Power at mon-power.com, on X, formerly known as Twitter, @MonPowerWV, and on Facebook at facebook.com/MonPowerWV. 

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 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 www.firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.