FirstEnergy Corp.’s Ohio Edison is undertaking significant grid upgrades in Clark County, Ohio. The improvements aim to reduce power outages and accommodate growing energy demands from industrial facilities in the Springfield area. As a result, nearly 2,700 Ohio Edison customers are expected to experience enhanced reliability, while two local manufacturers could potentially expand their businesses, which may lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs.
Torrence Hinton, President of FirstEnergy Ohio, stated, “This is an exciting time for economic development in our region as more and more large companies are realizing what a great place central Ohio is to start or expand their business. We’re proud to invest in work that helps advance business development while strengthening our system to meet the growing demand for safe and reliable power for many years to come.”
The upgrades include rebuilding sections of power lines with larger wires to deliver more electricity during high-demand periods. New equipment will also ensure a safe and continuous flow of high-voltage electricity to manufacturing plants and the surrounding residential and commercial areas. Additionally, automated reclosing devices will be installed to mitigate the frequency and duration of power outages. These devices function like home circuit breakers but have the added feature of automatically restoring power within seconds for certain types of outages. They also help utility crews quickly locate and understand power issues, facilitating faster restoration.
Ohio Edison, along with The Illuminating Company, has been recognized as a 2024 Business Customer Champion in a study by Escalent. This honor underscores the companies’ commitment to strong, engaged relationships with business customers across Ohio.
These enhancements are part of the Energize365 program, a multi-year initiative focused on significant transmission and distribution investments. The program, set to invest $28 billion from 2025 to 2029, aims to create a more advanced, secure grid capable of meeting future reliability standards and supporting electric vehicles, home and business electrification, and clean energy integration.
Ohio Edison provides services to over one million customers in 34 Ohio counties. FirstEnergy’s network extends to over six million customers across multiple states and manages 24,000 miles of transmission lines in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
For more information, Ohio Edison and FirstEnergy can be followed on social media platforms and contacted through their respective media and investor representatives.
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