Potomac Edison completes reliability project in West Virginia
USA, Virginia: Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has completed an upgrade to the electrical system serving Grant County, West Virginia.
Image source: T&D World
USA, Virginia: Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has completed an upgrade to the electrical system serving Grant County, West Virginia.
The upgrade will enhance service reliability for more than 2,100 customers.
The work involved splitting a 460 km circuit of power lines that deliver electricity from a substation to customers in the Maysville area into two smaller circuits. The circuit was previously the largest by mileage within FirstEnergy. With the split, one 281 km circuit now serves approximately 1240 customers in Maysville, Scherr and Greenland, and the other 180 km circuit serves approximately 900 customers in Arthur and Lahmansville.
With two smaller circuits, Potomac Edison will be able to manage demand more efficiently and limit the number of customers impacted by outages, particularly those caused by severe weather.
In addition, the circuits are connected by new electrical equipment called automated reclosers that will automatically switch customers to an adjacent power source in the event of certain outages. By tying customers to a second source of power, Potomac Edison will be able to further enhance reliability and minimize the frequency and duration of service interruptions that customers experience. This is the first time Potomac Edison has completed an automation project of this kind in West Virginia.
“The strategic investment in our system will generate meaningful benefits for customers in Grant County by reducing the impact of outages caused by severe weather events and enhancing our service restoration capabilities in the area,” said James A. Sears, Jr., vice-president of Potomac Edison.
Overall, the $1.4 M project included the installation of three automated reclosers, new line regulators for voltage support, and line construction and replacement in various places along the two circuits. The work began last year and was completed in late July.
Source: T&D World