Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is upgrading infrastructure and installing technology to modernize its electric system in western Pennsylvania as part of a four-year plan to limit the number and duration of power outages.
Work includes the installation of new, automated equipment and technology in distribution substations and along power lines serving more than 25,000 customers in parts of Lawrence, Mercer and Butler counties.
“Upgrading our substations is the first line of defense in preventing power outages because they supply the electricity that flows across our power lines to our customers,” said Ed Shuttleworth, regional president of Penn Power and Ohio Edison. “Think of a substation like a sprinkler. Each stream of water coming out of the sprinkler hits different parts of the lawn, just like individual power lines feed electricity to various neighborhoods.”
Utility personnel are upgrading electrical equipment in two substations in L
