Mon Power, a FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary, is completing a $2.2 million enhancement project that reroutes transmission lines away from a substation scheduled to be dismantled adjacent to the decommissioned Willow Island Generating Station in Pleasants County, West Virginia.
The work involved rebuilding four transmission lines to connect with an existing substation near Belmont. Previously, the lines were routed through a substation near the Willow Island power plant, which was closed in 2012. The project included building 15 new wooden structures, a new steel structure, along with installing additional breakers and other electrical equipment at the substation near Belmont.
"This project upgrades electrical equipment on our transmission system in the northwestern edge of Mon Power's service area," said Holly Kauffman, president of FirstEnergy's West Virginia operations. "The new configuration means we won't have to spend additional money and manpower inspecting and maintaining the older equipment located at the Willow Island site."
For the final part of the project, a contractor will dismantle the de-energized transmission substation next to the old power plant, removing steel, breakers and other electrical equipment from the site for recycling. That work should be completed in June.
The line relocation project is part of FirstEnergy's previously announced plans to invest about $166 million this year in distribution and transmission infrastructure projects to enhance service reliability in Mon Power's service area.
