Sep 1, 2013 2 min read

West Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., said it energized a new transmission line designed to strengthen its regional transmission network, accommodate future load growth and help maintain reliable service in Greene County.

The 14-mile, 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line connects a substation near Kirby with a substation in Monongalia County, W.Va. Both substations were expanded and reconfigured to accommodate the new line. While the majority of the line is located in the West Penn’s service area, the West Virginia portion will benefit customers of Mon Power, another FirstEnergy subsidiary.

Construction on the $20 million transmission project, which includes a combination of wooden and steel structures, began in the spring of 2012 and involved FirstEnergy utility crews as well as outside contractors. The line is connected to a 500 kV substation near Mt. Morris via a new transformer that was installed at a cost of about $8.5 million.

West Penn plans to spend $110 million to enhance the electrical system and reliability in its 24-county service area this year. Other major projects include building new circuits, replacing underground cables and inspecting and replacing utility poles.

In addition, West Penn continues to trim trees and maintain proper clearances along nearly 4,500 miles of distribution and sub-transmission lines at a cost of nearly $25 million to help reduce tree-related storm damage.