FirstEnergy nears completion of West Virginia infrastructure

FirstEnergy Corp. announced last week that construction of the transmission system reinforcement project is nearing completion in Harrison County, West Virginia.

This project will enhance reliability to approximately 14,000 customers of Mon Power, a FirstEnergy subsidiary, in Lewis, Harrison and Gilmer counties.

"The new substation will act as a hub, tying in several adjacent transmission lines to provide increased flexibility and resiliency to our system," Holly Kauffman, president of FirstEnergy's West Virginia operations, said. "These upgrades are designed to enhance service reliability for our customers now, and also in the future, as we continue to experience rapid electric load growth from the shale gas industry in the region."

A 138-kilovolt transmission line that stretches for 6 miles was recently completed by the company to connect the new substation being built near West Milford to an existing transmission line near Craigmoor. The new substation will feature specialized equipment to maintain proper voltage, including automated circuit breakers. The company states that it is set to begin energizing in December.

Mon Power serves 34 counties in West Virginia and provides electricity to approximately 385,000 customers in the state. FirstEnergy operates 10 electric distributors and serves many northeastern states.