FirstEnergy electric company Mon Power is replacing and upgrading equipment at eight transmission substations in its West Virginia service territory to help prevent or minimize the impact of power outages for more than 13,000 customers served by high-voltage power lines connected to the substations.
The substations are located in the Kingwood, Parkersburg, Pruntytown, Spencer, Sutton and Weirton areas in Preston, Wood, Taylor, Roane, Braxton and Hancock counties, respectively.
The work comprises replacing existing substation equipment with new communication equipment, including electrical relays containing technology to help reduce the frequency and severity of potential outages caused by issues such as animal contacts and tree-related damage. Mon Power started the upgrade projects in the spring and expects to complete the work by the end of 2024.
The project is based on system enhancements completed by Mon Power at its substations in the Clarksburg and Fairview areas in 2023, which helped more than 5,500 customers served by connecting transmission lines.
