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Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--FirstEnergy Corporation (NYSE:FE) (Akron, Ohio) plans to invest more than $1.5 billion in transmission and distribution (T&D) projects across its 10 operating utilities in 2015. These investments will be part of the company's previously announced, multi-billion-dollar T&D capital program, "Energizing the Future," which began in 2012 and is scheduled to end around 2017. FirstEnergy has invested about $4.2 billion in its capital program since 2012, FirstEnergy spokesman Mark Durbin told Industrial Info. And that number is poised to grow even further.
FirstEnergy's operating utilities are located in five states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New Jersey. This year's T&D work will include expansion of transmission lines; construction of new transmission lines; replacement of utility poles and underground cables; installation of remote control devices to reduce the frequency of outages; and the relocation of substation equipment. The investments will be made to strengthen and expand the T&D networks operated by FirstEnergy's subsidiaries. Some of these investments also are driven by plans to close coal-fired power plants under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS).
"Our work on the backbone of our network will focus on enhancing the service reliability to the communities, businesses and homes in our service areas," said Anthony J. Alexander, FirstEnergy's executive chairman, in a statement. "The average age for much of this equipment is more than 40 years old. Our goal is to replace outdated equipment with state-of-the-art 'smart' technology that can be operated remotely, in order to help prevent some outages from occurring. And if an outage does occur, the new equipment can help reduce the number of customers who are affected, and shorten the duration."
These FirstEnergy's operating utilities announced about $1.5 billion of T&D investment plans for this year:
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
FirstEnergy's operating utilities are located in five states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New Jersey. This year's T&D work will include expansion of transmission lines; construction of new transmission lines; replacement of utility poles and underground cables; installation of remote control devices to reduce the frequency of outages; and the relocation of substation equipment. The investments will be made to strengthen and expand the T&D networks operated by FirstEnergy's subsidiaries. Some of these investments also are driven by plans to close coal-fired power plants under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS).
"Our work on the backbone of our network will focus on enhancing the service reliability to the communities, businesses and homes in our service areas," said Anthony J. Alexander, FirstEnergy's executive chairman, in a statement. "The average age for much of this equipment is more than 40 years old. Our goal is to replace outdated equipment with state-of-the-art 'smart' technology that can be operated remotely, in order to help prevent some outages from occurring. And if an outage does occur, the new equipment can help reduce the number of customers who are affected, and shorten the duration."
These FirstEnergy's operating utilities announced about $1.5 billion of T&D investment plans for this year:
- Ohio Edison Company (Mansfield, Ohio) will invest about $383 million across its 36-county service area.
- The Illuminating Company (Cleveland, Ohio) will invest about $281 million in the metropolitan Cleveland area.
- Jersey Central Power & Light (Morristown, New Jersey) has scheduled about $267 million of work across its 13-county service area.
- Mon Power (Fairmont, West Virginia) will invest $225 million in its 34-county service area in north-central West Virginia.
- Potomac Edison (Williamsport, Maryland) will spend about $128 million in western Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
- Toledo Edison (Toledo, Ohio) plans to spend $120 million this year on T&D projects in its eight-county service area in northwest Ohio.
- Pennsylvania Power Company (Penn Power) (New Castle, Pennsylvania) has about 70 projects it will work on this year in its six-county service area in western Pennsylvania. The value of this work exceeds $100 million.
- Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec) (Erie, Pennsylvania) has scheduled more than 60 major T&D projects this year across its 31-county system.
- Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed) (Reading, Pennsylvania) has scheduled more than 35 T&D projects in its 15-county service area.
- West Penn Power Company (Greensburg, Pennsylvania) scheduled nearly 50 major projects this year across its 24-county system in western Pennsylvania.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
