Grid Upgrades Aim to Reduce Outages, Speed Power Restoration for Westmoreland County Customers

Rhea-AI Summary

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) said FE Pennsylvania Electric Company (West Penn Power) is rebuilding a key section of the Westmoreland County grid as part of a $368 million Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP III) investment for the West Penn district. The project upgrades over a mile of stronger wire, replaces more than 50 poles, 10 transformers and other hardware, adds 8 remote reclosing switches, clears vegetation and installs a new tie line.

The work began in August, is expected to finish this month and should reduce outages and speed restorations for nearly 5,000 customers in New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell. It is part of FirstEnergy's $28 billion Energize365 program (2025–2029).

Positive

• $368 million LTIIP III investment for West Penn district
• Infrastructure benefits for nearly 5,000 customers
• Installation of 8 remote reclosing switches to speed restoration
• Replacement of 50+ poles, 10 transformers and other hardware
• Project is near completion (started August, wrapping up this month)
• Part of $28 billion Energize365 modernization program (2025–2029)

Negative

• None.

Electric service upgrades part of $368 million investment in the area

GREENSBURG, Pa., Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) company known locally as West Penn Power, is rebuilding a key section of its Westmoreland County power grid with stronger equipment and smart technology to make electric service more reliable and resilient for residents and businesses. Once the work is complete, nearly 5,000 customers in New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell are expected to experience fewer outages and faster restoration if outages do occur.

Smarter Grid, Stronger Service
Crews are upgrading two local power lines – one on 7^th Street Road between Lower Burrell and New Kensington and another near Drey Street in Arnold – by installing over a mile of stronger, bigger wire. The new lines will be able to handle more electricity and stand up better to bad weather.

Other work includes:

• New equipment: Replacing more than 50 wooden utility poles, 97 crossarms, 10 transformers, 22 fuses and 38 lightning-protection devices to harden the system.
• Tree trimming: Clearing vegetation along the lines to reduce the risk of tree-related outages.
• Remote Switching: Adding eight reclosing switches that shut off power when trouble occurs and automatically restore service within seconds for certain types of outages. The switches also help crews find problems faster and reroute electricity remotely.
• New Tie Line: Linking two local power lines to make it easier to shift customers from one line to another when repairs are needed.

John Hawkins, FirstEnergy President, Pennsylvania: "Our investments in innovative technology and stronger equipment help us deliver safe, dependable service for our customers and support growth in our communities. The 7^th Street Road line runs through thick woods and sometimes experiences tree-related damage during severe weather. New switches will make it possible to quickly transfer thousands of customers from this line to a nearby one, keeping their lights on while we make repairs."

Photos of remote-controlled switches and crews installing wire in Westmoreland County are available on Flickr. Watch a video that shows how remote-controlled reclosers work.   

The project started in August and is expected to wrap up this month.

Part of a Larger Plan
The upgrades are part of FE PA's Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP) III, which fast-tracks important investments in electric system reliability. The LTIIP III investment for the West Penn district's service area is $368 million.

LTIIP is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's long-term investment program to modernize the electric grid. FirstEnergy plans to invest $28 billion through Energize365 between 2025 and 2029. The goal: a smarter, more secure grid that meets the needs of today's customers and tomorrow's growth.

West Penn Power serves approximately 725,000 customers in 24 counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on X @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at facebook.com/WestPennPower.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than 6 million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grid-upgrades-aim-to-reduce-outages-speed-power-restoration-for-westmoreland-county-customers-302629446.html

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

What grid upgrades did FirstEnergy (FE) announce for Westmoreland County on December 1, 2025?

FE announced rebuilding over a mile of stronger wire, replacing 50+ poles and 10 transformers, adding 8 remote reclosing switches, vegetation clearing and a new tie line.

How many Westmoreland County customers will the FE upgrades affect and when will work finish?

Nearly 5,000 customers in New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell are expected to benefit; the project started in August and is expected to wrap up this month.

How much is FirstEnergy investing in the West Penn district reliability plan (FE symbol)?

The West Penn district's LTIIP III investment is $368 million.

How do the new remote reclosing switches included by FE improve service restoration?

The 8 remote reclosing switches can automatically restore service within seconds for certain outages and let crews locate and reroute power remotely, speeding repairs.

How does this Westmoreland County project relate to FirstEnergy's broader capital plan (FE)?

The project is part of FirstEnergy's Energize365 program, a planned $28 billion investment from 2025–2029 to modernize the grid.