FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), operating as Penelec in northwestern Pennsylvania, has finished a significant upgrade to its electric infrastructure in McKean County. The project aims to improve reliability and resilience for over 1,000 customers in Bradford and Bradford Township.
The upgrades involved installing new underground cables for three power lines connected to a local substation. This initiative is designed to reduce outages, speed up restoration times, and support the area’s development. It follows previous work completed in 2024 when Penelec installed a new substation transformer intended to deliver more electricity and better serve community needs.
John Hawkins, President of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, stated: “We know how much our customers count on reliable electricity every day to brighten their homes and power their businesses. We’re investing in new equipment to get ahead of outages before they happen – and respond faster when they do. These upgrades are expected to make a real difference for the Bradford community.”
The project included several key improvements:
– Stronger underground cables capable of carrying more electricity were installed.
– Redundant power lines were added so that customers can be switched to another line during outages.
– Underground wires are now protected by plastic pipes that guard against water, road salt, and corrosive soil.
– Additional adjustments planned for 2026 will modify existing pole-top equipment to further improve outage response.
These efforts are part of FE PA’s Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP) III. For Penelec’s service area alone, this plan involves $538 million in investments aimed at enhancing electric system reliability.
LTIIP III is included within Energize365, FirstEnergy’s broader grid modernization program. Under Energize365, FirstEnergy plans to invest $28 billion from 2025 through 2029 with the goal of creating a smarter and more secure grid suited for current customer needs and future growth.
Penelec provides service to about 597,000 customers across northern and central Pennsylvania as well as western New York. FirstEnergy Corp.’s distribution companies serve over six million customers across multiple states including Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. Its transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting regions from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic.
Photos documenting the underground cable installation can be found on Flickr.
For further information or media inquiries contact Lauren Siburkis at (330) 203-8850 or Karen Sagot at (330) 761-4286.
