Penn Power completed extensive work to reinforce the electric system against extreme heat and severe weather this summer.
Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, conducted equipment inspections and maintenance, building upon equipment and technology upgrades the company has made to its electric grid in western Pennsylvania over recent years.
“We proactively inspect, maintain and upgrade our equipment to minimize the length and impact of service interruptions that are often caused by events out of our control, like severe weather,” Scott Wyman, president of FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania operations, said. “This year alone, FirstEnergy plans to invest more than $20 million in new automated technology and equipment upgrades across the Penn Power service area to help keep power flowing to our customers in all types of weather conditions.”
Equipment inspections include using thermovision cameras to capture infrared images of electrical equipment. This helps detect potential problems within substations and power lines that cannot be observed during regular visual inspections. The technology shows heat on a color scale, with brighter colors or “hot spots” indicating areas that could need repairs. It helps workers identify equipment issues such as loose connections, corrosion, and load imbalances that need repairs.
Also, Penn Power is finishing up construction of a new distribution substation in Cranberry, Butler County, to support the energy demands of the area’s rapidly growing population. The project includes the installation of automated equipment and technology within the new substation and along power lines serving more than 20,000 customers in parts of Cranberry, Mars, Evans City, Jackson Township, and nearby areas. The facility will be operational by the end of the summer.
In addition, Penn Power crews are inspecting electrical equipment, like transformers, located along neighborhood power lines and within substations to ensure the infrastructure is ready to perform reliably when demand for electricity increases during the summer.
Further, helicopter patrols have inspected nearly 750 miles of high-voltage power lines owned by American Transmission Systems, a FirstEnergy transmission subsidiary. The inspections are designed to look for damaged wire, broken cross arms, and other hardware problems not visible from the ground.
Also, Penn Power and FirstEnergy employees have participated in readiness exercises and drills throughout the year to test the company’s storm restoration process.