Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has completed the construction of a new substation in Berkeley County, West Virginia. The facility is intended to provide more reliable electric service for about 2,400 homes and businesses in the Falling Waters and Spring Mills areas. Located near Spring Mills High School, the substation was finished in December and offers an additional power source to customers who were previously served by two substations that were reaching capacity.
Jim Myers, President of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia and Maryland operations, stated: “Berkeley County is growing fast, and it’s important that our electric system grows with it. Reliable power is the backbone of thriving communities, and this substation reflects our commitment to our customers. With fewer outages, faster repairs and a strong grid, we’re ensuring our customers have the dependable electricity they need.”
The new substation features advanced automated technology designed to detect issues quickly, isolate problems to limit outage size, and restore service remotely without always needing to dispatch repair crews.
This $6.6 million project is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy’s long-term program aimed at modernizing and strengthening its electric grid. The company plans to invest $36 billion from 2026 through 2030 to build a smarter and more resilient network across its service area.
FirstEnergy provides electricity service to over six million customers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. Its subsidiaries manage approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions as well as over 269,000 miles of distribution lines (source). Potomac Edison serves around 285,000 customers in parts of Maryland counties including Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery and Washington; it also serves about 155,000 customers in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.
FirstEnergy emphasizes corporate responsibility through environmental initiatives and community engagement (source), has been recognized for compliance leadership as well as environmental efforts (source), and aims to operate with integrity while focusing on reliability (source).
For further information or updates from Potomac Edison or FirstEnergy Corp., details are available on their respective websites or social media channels.
