Electric Grid Enhancements Completed in the Valley

AKRON, Ohio – American Transmission Systems Inc., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has installed approximately 250 new insulators along a 22-mile section of a transmission line that runs through Mahoning and Columbiana counties. 

The new equipment will help ensure the electric grid remains reliable and resilient for approximately 1,500 Ohio Edison customers in the Mahoning Valley, a news release states.

New horizontal post insulators were installed on the 69-kilovolt transmission line, which runs southwest from a substation in Boardman Township to a substation in Salem. Insulators separate high-voltage transmission lines from their grounded support towers and help maintain the safe and consistent delivery of power. The new insulators attach directly to the poles and eliminate the need for crossarms, which were removed, the release states.

Work to replace the insulators began in August 2022 and was completed in March. Several poles were also replaced as part of the $5 million project.

“This new, upgraded equipment will help prevent potential outages and ensure that our transmission system continues to serve customers safely and reliably in the future,” said Carl Bridenbaugh, FirstEnergy’s vice president of transmission.

The project is part of Energize365, a multiyear grid evolution program. With planned investments of $26 billion between 2024 and 2028, the program aims to 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, the release states.

Pictured at top: File photo courtesy of FirstEnergy.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.