Electric Grid Upgrades Underway in Lorain County

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Mar 14, 2024, 14:12 ET

Work will help prevent or minimize outages for more than 3,600 FirstEnergy customers

AKRON, Ohio, March 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- American Transmission Systems, Inc. (ATSI), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is replacing more than 900 insulator assemblies along two high-voltage power lines in Lorain County in Northeast Ohio. The project will strengthen the regional transmission system and help prevent or minimize the impact of power outages for more than 3,600 customers of Ohio Edison, a FirstEnergy company.

The two 138-kilovolt power lines run through Grafton and Elyria in Lorain County and are approximately 13 miles and 14 miles in length, respectively. ATSI will replace 927 insulator assemblies on 196 transmission structures that support the two lines. Insulators separate high-voltage transmission lines from their grounded support towers and help maintain safe, consistent delivery of power.

Carl Bridenbaugh, FirstEnergy's Vice President of Transmission: "By installing new, upgraded equipment along these transmission lines, we can help prevent potential power outages and ensure that our transmission system continues to serve customers safely and reliably in the future."

The lines serve a substation in the area that delivers power to more than 3,600 customers of Ohio Edison. The insulator work began in late February and is expected to be complete in August. ATSI also plans to replace 18 structures along the route next year.

ATSI provides transmission services in Ohio and in the western portion of Pennsylvania and owns or maintains more than 8,100 miles of transmission lines, substations and other facilities.

The project is part of Energize365, a multi-year grid evolution program focused on transmission and distribution investments that will deliver the power FirstEnergy's customers depend on today while also meeting the challenges of tomorrow. With planned investments of $26 billion between 2024 and 2028, the program will create a smarter, more secure grid that will meet and exceed reliability targets and accommodate electric vehicles, the electrification of homes and businesses and clean energy sources.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.