Penn Power begins construction of Lawrence County substation

Penn Power, a FirstEnergy Corp. electric company, recently started construction on a new distribution substation in Lawrence County.

“Every project we do is customized and designed to address the particular reliability needs of each community where work is being done,” Ed Shuttleworth, Penn Power and Ohio Edison regional president, said. “The work underway in Lawrence County will help meet the growing energy demands of our customers for many years to come and help reduce power interruptions to just a brief or momentary outage.”

Work will include the construction of a high-voltage power line to connect the new substation with a nearby 69-kilovolt line and installation of automated equipment and technology.

The power line will allow for backup power if the regular line is damaged or taken out of service, and the automated reclosing devices will help limit the frequency, duration and scope of service interruptions.

The foundation is already completed, and crews will begin erecting steel structures in mid-September.

Penn Power expects the substation will be operational by the end of this year. It will serve more than 30,000 customers in parts of New Castle, North Beaver Township, Shenango Township and nearby areas.

Last year, Penn Power installed nearly 50 automated reclosing devices and fencing at three substations.