More than 5,000 residents and businesses in Northampton County, Pennsylvania are now being served by a new electrical substation. The Klecknersville Substation, recently activated by FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), also known as Met-Ed, provides a new power source for customers in Moore, Lehigh, East Allen and Upper Nazareth townships as well as Bath and Chapman boroughs.
Before the new substation was operational, customers received electricity through lines extending 15 to 20 miles from the Northwood Substation in Palmer Township. These routes passed through wooded areas and were more vulnerable to disruptions from tree damage or vehicle accidents. With the opening of the Klecknersville Substation, electricity is delivered over shorter distances of 5 to 10 miles. The system also includes smart technology that can automatically reroute power during outages, affecting fewer customers and allowing faster restoration of service.
John Hawkins, President of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, stated: “Five years in the making, this substation is a big win for the community. It not only strengthens the grid for 5,400 Met-Ed customers, but it also eases the load on our Northwood Substation and enhances electric service for customers in Palmer Township, especially during periods of high demand like we’ve experienced during this hot summer.”
The Klecknersville Substation features smart grid technology with automated devices that detect and isolate problems automatically. These systems allow for remote restoration of service without dispatching repair crews and help pinpoint outage locations to speed up repairs. As a result, customers should experience fewer outages that are shorter in duration and less widespread.
Additional measures have been implemented at the substation to prevent animal-related outages. Wildlife guards made of rubber boots and sleeves protect energized equipment from squirrels and other climbing animals.
This development is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy’s $28 billion investment program intended to modernize its electric grid between 2025 and 2029. The initiative aims to create a smarter and more secure grid designed to support current needs as well as future growth (https://www.firstenergycorp.com).
Met-Ed serves about 592,000 customers across 3,300 square miles in eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania.
FirstEnergy’s electric distribution companies make up one of the country’s largest investor-owned electric systems with operations spanning Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. Its transmission subsidiaries manage approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting regions from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic (https://www.firstenergycorp.com/about.html).
A photo of the new substation is available on FirstEnergy’s Flickr page.
For additional information contact Todd Meyers at (724) 838-6650 or Karen Sagot at (330) 761-4286.
