FirstEnergy building new substation in West Virginia

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- - Construction is nearing completion on a new FirstEnergy Corp. transmission system reinforcement project in Harrison County, W.Va., that will help enhance service reliability for more than 14,000 Mon Power customers in Harrison, Lewis, and Gilmer counties.

The project includes the construction of a new substation near West Milford, W.Va., that features automated circuit breakers and other special equipment designed to help maintain proper voltage levels on the grid. The substation is scheduled to be energized by December of this year.

Crews also recently completed work on a six-mile, 138-kilovolt kV transmission line that connects the new substation to an existing transmission line near Craigmoor. The line is supported by 37 new wood poles and three steel structures.

"The new substation will act as a hub, tying in several adjacent transmission lines to provide increased flexibility and resiliency to our system," said Holly Kauffman, president of FirstEnergy's West Virginia operations. "These upgrades are designed to enhance service reliability for our customers now and also in the future as we continue to experience rapid electric load growth from the shale gas industry in the region."

Mon Power serves about 385,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties.