FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has completed significant upgrades to its distribution system in southeast Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The enhancements aim to prevent service disruptions and support ongoing residential and commercial growth in the area.
The project involved rebuilding a section of an existing power line with larger diameter wire capable of carrying more electricity. This upgrade is intended to help customers maintain comfort during extreme weather conditions. “We reconstructed part of the main line paralleling Marshalls Creek Road with new utility poles, wires, crossarms, and other equipment to enhance electric service for about 1,300 customers in Marshalls Creek and Middle Smithfield Township,” stated John Hawkins, FirstEnergy President for Pennsylvania. He added that this investment will aid in meeting the increasing electrical load growth and provide additional grid resiliency.
The work focused on a 1.6-mile stretch of the 34.5-kilovolt line along Marshalls Creek Road from Brushy Mountain Road to Wooddale Road. Key tasks included replacing existing wire with larger capacity wire, installing new utility poles, crossarms, guy wires, hardware, aging fuses, insulators, animal guards, and protective devices against lightning strikes.
This initiative is part of FE PA’s Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP) within the Met-Ed service area—a $153 million effort over five years aimed at enhancing electric distribution reliability. LTIIP aligns with Energize365, FirstEnergy’s broader grid evolution program set to invest $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across six states.
In preparation for these upgrades, tree trimming crews worked along Marshalls Creek Road last year and continued maintenance last month as part of routine vegetation management efforts. Such activities are crucial as tree branches contacting electrical equipment often cause power outages.
Met-Ed provides services to approximately 592,000 customers across eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania. FirstEnergy serves multiple states through one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems.
For further information or inquiries: News Media Contact: Todd Meyers at (724) 838-6650; Investor Relations Contact: Gina Caskey at (330) 761-4185.
Photos related to this project are available on Flickr.
