July 28, 2025

A major upgrade is underway in East Akron that is set to make electric service more reliable and resilient for about 12,000 Ohio Edison customers, including Summa Akron City Hospital.

American Transmission Systems, Inc. (ATSI), a FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary, is expanding and modernizing an East Akron substation to help reduce the number of outages and shorten the time it takes to restore power when issues do occur.

“This project is about building a stronger, safer electric grid that can better handle unexpected events like car accidents or severe weather,” said Mark Mroczynski, President, Transmission.

Smart Grid, Stronger Service

Right now, a single problem on any of the five power lines connected to the substation can leave all customers in the dark. But with new technology and equipment, the system will soon be able to detect issues and reroute electricity automatically so that fewer people lose power and those that do, get it back faster.

High-Tech Tools for a Modern Grid 

At the heart of the upgrade is gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), a compact high-tech system that safely manages electricity inside sealed, gas-filled enclosures. This setup helps extend equipment life, reduce the risk of outages and keep power flowing more smoothly.

Expanding for the Future 

To make room for the new equipment, the substation is expanding from about 142,000 square feet to about 176,000 square feet – roughly equivalent to 37 NBA basketball courts. The expansion is happening entirely on Ohio Edison-owned property, minimizing the impact on the surrounding community.

Construction began in June and is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026. In the meantime, crews are using a temporary setup called a “shoo-fly,” a clever workaround that keeps power flowing while the real work gets done. A series of wooden poles and wires acts like a jumper cable to provide temporary power to the substation’s 138-kV power line. This allows construction to move forward without interrupting service.

Part of a Bigger Plan 

This project is part of Energize365, our $28 billion investment program to modernize the electric grid across the footprint between 2025 and 2029. The goal: a smarter, more secure grid that meets the needs of today’s customers and tomorrow’s.