Pennsylvania Electric to equip over 400 service vehicles with laptops

Pennsylvania Electric Co. (Penelec), a FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary, announced Thursday that it will be equipping more than 400 of its service vehicles with laptop computers in a $3.8 million project to make its repair services operate more efficiently.

"This new mobile technology will help streamline our work process, further enhancing the service we provide to Penelec customers," Penelec Regional President Scott Wyman said. "The laptops will help our dispatchers locate and send trucks where they are needed and will help get the lights back on faster following a power outage."

After the installations, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year, Penelec crews will be able to better respond to work orders, completing them faster and more efficiently. Instead of receiving information from dispatchers and writing it down with pen and paper, orders will come through on the laptops, where technicians will also be able to get GPS directions to the site.

Additionally, the laptops will provide crews with maps clearly marking Penelec’s distribution and transmission systems, and will show where other Penelec crews are working. The system has been employed successfully by other FirstEnergy Corp. companies, and is expected to help Penelec better estimate restoration times during power outages.