FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA) began a $368 million upgrade of its Westmoreland County power grid on August 2025, with the project slated for completion in December 2025. The work replaces two critical transmission lines—one on 7th Street Road between Lower Burrell and New Kensington and another near Drey Street in Arnold—with over a mile of larger, stronger conductors and new smart‑grid switches.
The upgrade is designed to reduce outages and accelerate power restoration for nearly 5,000 customers in New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell. By installing remote‑controlled reclosers and higher‑capacity conductors, the lines will better withstand severe weather and enable rapid transfer of power to alternate routes during repairs, improving reliability for the region’s residential and commercial customers.
The project is part of FE PA’s Long‑Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP) III, a $368 million investment that falls under FirstEnergy’s broader $28 billion Energize365 program. The LTIIP III plan allocates $1.42 billion across West Penn Power’s 24‑county service area, with the Westmoreland County portion representing a key component of the company’s strategy to modernize its distribution network and support growing demand from data‑center customers and electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure.
John Hawkins, President of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, said the investment “helps us deliver safe, dependable service for our customers and supports growth in our communities.” He added that the upgrade will be completed without a bill impact for 2025, as the costs are covered by a previously approved distribution rate review.
The upgrade aligns with FirstEnergy’s goal of creating a smarter, more secure grid that can accommodate future clean‑energy and electrification demands. By reducing outage frequency and improving restoration times, the company strengthens its competitive position in a market increasingly focused on reliability and sustainability.
The project’s completion in December 2025 will mark a significant milestone in FirstEnergy’s Energize365 rollout, reinforcing the company’s commitment to long‑term infrastructure investment and customer service.
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