Met-Ed, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is upgrading its electric grid in southern York County, Pennsylvania, to help prevent service disruptions, particularly during severe weather. The work includes converting an existing power line along New Park Road in Fawn Township to a higher voltage to enhance the reliability of electric service for rural customers.
The upgrades are part of Met-Ed's Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan, a $153 million initiative to accelerate capital investments to the company's electric grid over five years to help ensure continued electric service reliability for customers.
"We are rebuilding a 2.5-mile section of an existing power line to operate at a higher voltage," said Scott Wyman, president of FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania Operations. "This is an older line that has been repaired many times, and the work includes stringing larger wire, replacing and adding numerous wood utility poles and cross arms and installing new transformers. The project should help enhance local grid performance, particularly during hot humid summer weather when our customers in the New Park and Gatchellville areas crank up their air conditioners to stay cool."
Crews are expected later this spring to replace 38 poles. They also plan to set an additional 27 new poles along the line to shorten the distance of wire between poles to reduce sagging and maintain necessary clearances. Crews will install more than 100 cross arms and 12 new transformers as they hang new wire.
A device enabled with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) technology will be placed at a key spot on the line. SCADA conveys real-time information about voltage and electric current conditions to distribution system operators. Based on conditions, operators can control the device remotely to quickly isolate damage and transfer customer load to a different source, helping to keep the lights on for customers when problems such as vehicles damaging poles or tree-related outages occur.
The project will start at Met-Ed's distribution substation near the intersection of Woolen Mill and New Park roads, progress northeast along New Park Road and end near Stoney Lane just south of Gatchellville. Step transformers will be placed on a platform near Stoney Lane to reduce voltage, beyond which point the line will continue at its original lower voltage.
Scheduled for completion by the end of 2023, the project will result in much of the local electric network operating at 13,200 volts – enabling Met-Ed to better meet the area's current and future electrical needs. Met-Ed will eliminate the distribution substation near New Park Road when the project is complete because it will no longer be needed to reduce voltage.
