FirstEnergy Corp. has completed a new transmission line and substation in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, to help enhance service reliability for West Penn Power customers in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties.
As part of the $31 million project, a new 345-kV substation was constructed next to FirstEnergy’s deactivated Armstrong Power Plant. The major component of the construction process was the installation of a large transformer that converts the power from 345-kV to 138-kV as it moves along the transmission system.
In addition, a new control room was built to house transmission controls that were previously located at the Armstrong Plant. Construction work also included adding four new circuit breakers to the existing substation located on plant property that will remain in operation.
The project also included a new 1.6-mile section of 345-kV transmission line connecting the new substation with an existing transmission line running between Homer City and Handsome Lake. The new line was installed on 15 steel monopole structures. The new substation equipment and line are owned by Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co., a FirstEnergy transmission affiliate.
The new substation and transmission line were authorized by PJM Interconnection, LLC. PJM, a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-approved Regional Transmission Organization, is responsible for ensuring the reliability of the electric transmission system and coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or part of 13 states and the District of Columbia.
West Penn Power serves about 720,000 customers in 24 Pennsylvania counties.
