August 23, 2024 – FirstEnergy subsidiary Potomac Edison has begun construction on a new substation in Morgan County, West Virginia, that will improve reliability for 1,800 customers in the region. The facility will be served by a more reliable power line and will feature new technology and equipment that will also help reduce the number and duration of outages.
The new substation at Great Cacapon will replace an existing substation nearby that is served by a 6-mile 34.5-kV power line that runs through rocky and mountainous terrain. If severe weather damage occurs, access to that line is difficult for repair work. The new substation is located on a 20-acre property owned by Potomac Edison and is served by an existing 138-kV power line that is more easily accessible to field workers and less prone to service interruptions, especially during severe weather.
Hundreds of homes and businesses in the region will benefit from the installation of new automatic reclosing devices at the substation, which will help limit the frequency, duration and extent of service interruptions.
These electrical devices work like a circuit breaker in a home, shutting off power when there is a problem. They have the added benefit of automatically turning a substation or power line back on within seconds during certain types of outages to keep power safely available to customers. This technology is safer and more efficient because it often allows electric company personnel to automatically restore service to customers rather than sending a crew to investigate, which is especially beneficial in rural areas like Morgan County.
If the device detects a more serious problem, such as a fallen tree hitting electrical equipment, the outage will be contained to that area, limiting the total number of customers affected. The device’s intelligent technology will quickly pinpoint the fault location and help utility personnel better understand the cause of the outage to speed up restoration.
In addition, Mon Power is replacing and upgrading equipment at eight substations in its West Virginia service territory to prevent or minimize the impact of power outages for more than 13,000 customers served by high-voltage power lines connected to the substations.
The substations are located in the Kingwood, Parkersburg, Pruntytown, Spencer, Sutton and Weirton areas in Preston, Wood, Taylor, Roane, Braxton and Hancock counties. Mon Power began the upgrade projects in the spring and expects to complete the work by the end of the year.
Don McGettigan, acting president of FirstEnergy, Maryland: “This new infrastructure will make a real difference for customers in the Great Cacapon region and help ensure we can deliver the safe and reliable power they depend on.”
The new substation is expected to be completed and operational in 2025 and will serve approximately 1,600 customers in the Greater Cacapon area and 200 in Little Orleans, Maryland. The existing substation and interconnector will be permanently removed after customers migrate to the new substation.
The $4 million project is part by Energize365a multi-year grid development program focused on investments in transmission and distribution that delivers the power FirstEnergy customers depend on today while 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 meets and exceeds reliability goals and enables electric vehicles, electrification of homes and businesses, and clean energy sources.
