Ohio Edison building substation in West Akron

Ohio Edison substation improves reliability
Ohio Edison substation improves reliability | Courtesy of worldatlas.com

Ohio Edison, a branch of FirstEnergy Corp., recently announced that it has invested $2.4 million in a new substation that will improve the company’s customer service reliability for consumers in Ohio’s West Akron region.

The substation will be located on Sourek Road. Construction crews will use a standard design to build the substation in less than eight months. A larger transformer, precast concrete foundations, circuit breakers and a switching gear are key parts of the equipment. Polymer animal protection devices will also reduce the chances that squirrels and similar animals will cause any electricity outages.

"The new substation is designed to enhance service reliability for more than 5,000 customers in West Akron, while helping to prepare our system for future load growth," Ohio Edison Regional President Randall Frame said. "This project is the fourth modular substation we have completed in the Ohio Edison area over the past several years. In addition to reducing the construction schedule, the standardized design also helps reduce maintenance costs."

Last year, Ohio Edison built a substation in Bath Township. The company is also constructing a Brunswick substation that is scheduled to be finished this year.