FirstEnergy Nearing Completion of Transmission Line Project to Support Northern Ohio

AKRON, Ohio, May 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) will energize a new 138-kilovolt transmission line and substation later this month to enhance service reliability for Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison customers across northern Ohio.

The project includes a new transmission line that extends about 28 miles between existing substations in Erie and Sandusky counties. The line will also connect a new substation under construction near Bellevue, Ohio, giving grid operators added flexibility to help reduce the frequency and duration of power outages.

Line construction began late last year after a FirstEnergy subsidiary, American Transmission Systems, Inc., (ATSI) obtained approval to build the project from the Ohio Power Siting Board. The new facilities are on schedule to be energized ahead of a May 31 in-service deadline.

"In recent years, a number of older power plants have closed across our region while new sources of energy are being connected to the grid," said Carl Bridenbaugh, vice president, Transmission. "This changing energy mix often requires new transmission lines to be built that can maintain service reliability and supply power from where it is generated to where it is needed. The route selected for this project will allow us to deliver clean and affordable energy to the region, while minimizing the project's impact on communities and the environment."

The project, which costs more than $50 million, is part of Energizing the Future, a multi-year investment initiative aimed at upgrading FirstEnergy's transmission facilities with advanced equipment and technologies that will reinforce the power grid and help reduce the frequency and duration of customer outages.  Since 2014, FirstEnergy's transmission companies have upgraded or replaced existing transmission lines, incorporated new, smart technology into the grid, and outfitted dozens of substations with new equipment and enhanced security features.  These upgrades are producing reliability improvements across the company's transmission system.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence.  Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.  The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.  Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

Editor's Note: Construction photos are available for download on Flickr.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.