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Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy, are investing $13 million this year to improve electricity reliability for more than 12,700 rural West Virginia customers. The initiative is part of a three-year pilot program approved by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia and focuses on reducing the frequency and duration of outages, particularly during severe weather.

The projects include building new power lines, upgrading to stronger wire, adding substation transformers, and installing automated smart technologies to help ensure continuous power when equipment or lines are out of service.

Targeted upgrades include:

• Berkeley and Morgan counties: A four-mile power line connecting two lines serving 5,400 customers in Hedgesville, providing backup power and protective covering against trees, branches, and animals.

• Greenbrier County: Installation of a second substation transformer in Union to support 2,238 customers and future growth.

• Hancock County: Wire upgrades on a backup line serving 3,100 customers, along with new regulators and reclosers for voltage control and automatic power restoration.

• Tyler County: Two-mile tie-line upgrades serving 2,000 customers in Friendly and Sistersville.

Jim Myers, President of FirstEnergy West Virginia and Maryland, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing dependable power for rural communities, even during severe weather.

Mon Power serves 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties, while Potomac Edison serves 285,000 customers in seven Maryland counties and 155,000 customers in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.

Source: firstenergycorp.com