January 12, 2022

Many of the Energizing the Future (EtF) projects completed in 2021 were designed to reinforce the power grid in Pennsylvania. Here’s a look at some of the major work undertaken in the Keystone State as part of FirstEnergy’s multi-year initiative to upgrade transmission facilities with advanced equipment and technologies.

• Roxbury Substation transformer upgrade – Built new 115-kilovolt (kV) facilities adjacent to the existing substation and replaced an existing 100-megavolt-amps (MVA), 138/115-kV transformer with a higher-capacity, 224-MVA unit. Increasing the rating of the transformer – which ties the West Penn Power and Penelec systems – allows greater power flows across the tie. In addition, provision was made for adding a second transformer if needed in the future. Upgrading the substation’s 115-kV facilities allows the full capacity of the new transformer to be used and results in a more reliable configuration.
• North Meshoppen Substation upgrade and reconfiguration – Replaced one of the substation’s 230/115-kV transformers with a larger 300-MVA unit and reconfigured the station’s breaker and other facilities. This project resolves overload issues on the transformer and associated equipment. Overloads on the nearby Laurel Lake-Goudey 115-kV line also were resolved.
• North Temple-South Hamburg 69 kV line renovation – Rebuilt approximately 12 miles of wood pole structures to the Royal Green and Leesport substations and replaced the existing 69-kV conductor with a higher-capacity type. Also replaced single-pole motorized air brake switches at Royal Green substation with new, modern SCADA-controlled switches and upgraded line terminals at North Temple and South Hamburg.
• Erie West Substation reconfiguration – Changed the Erie West 115-kV substation to a more reliable breaker configuration with room for future expansion.The work is designed to ensure reliability on the 115-kV system.
• Loretto-Summit 46-kV line rebuild – Rebuilt this 46-kV line with new conductors for approximately 6 miles from Loretto Substation around Cresson Mountain to Summit Substation. This project ensures the line complies with PJM requirements and increases system versatility.

For highlights of EtF projects completed in Ohio, West Virginia and New Jersey, see the Jan. 11 article.

Look for future articles highlighting ongoing EtF projects reinforcing the grid across our service territories.

The Loretto-Summit line rebuild replaced nearly six miles of 46-kV line around Cresson Mountain.