New Technologies Could Help Pennsylvania's Grid Work Smarter

The pilot will test real-time line ratings and power-flow controls on existing transmission infrastructure.

Rhea-AI Summary

FirstEnergy (FE) subsidiary Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company has been selected for an estimated $20.8 million federally funded grid modernization initiative. Led by EPRI, the pilot will evaluate technologies intended to improve reliability and transmission capacity. KATCo plans equipment installation on an existing line between Butler and Karns City, Pennsylvania. Work is expected to begin in early 2027 and continue over multiple years.

Positive

• Minor pointFederal funding will share the Pennsylvania pilot's investment costs with KATCo.
• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Planned equipment installation between Butler and Karns City will test potential reliability and transmission-capacity improvements.
• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Ohio and West Virginia pilots are expected to begin in 2027, enabling additional technology evaluations and shared findings.

Negative

• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.KATCo funding contribution will cover a share of the Pennsylvania project's investment costs.

News Explained

The initiative is estimated at $20.8 million; the release separately describes an approximately $20.2 million investment, with funding shared by KATCo and the U.S. Department of Energy.

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FirstEnergy Transmission company selected to participate in a federally funded project to improve reliability and support future growth in western Pennsylvania

GREENSBURG, Pa., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As electricity demand continues to grow in Pennsylvania and across the country, FirstEnergy Transmission subsidiary Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCo) is joining utilities, regulators and technology leaders to evaluate advanced technologies that could strengthen grid reliability and make better use of the existing transmission system.

Through the U.S. Department of Energy's Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) program, KATCo has been selected to participate in an estimated $20.8 million grid modernization initiative led by EPRI, an independent, non-profit energy research and development organization. The Advanced Transmission Technologies for Reliable and Efficient Energy Supply (ATREES) project will evaluate technologies that could improve reliability, increase transmission capacity and help meet the state and nation's growing energy needs.

"Customers count on us to provide reliable electric service at a reasonable cost, and that's what makes this project so important," said John Hawkins, President of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania. "By evaluating technologies that help us get more from the transmission infrastructure already serving our communities, we're exploring ways to strengthen reliability and meet rising energy demands for many years."

Maximizing the Grid We Have Today
Often compared to a network of highways, the transmission system moves electricity across the region to homes, businesses and communities. Similar to traffic congestion on busy roadways, certain transmission lines can become heavily loaded while nearby lines still have available capacity.

This pilot project will test technologies that give grid operators greater visibility into system conditions and more flexibility to manage power flows across the transmission network. The goal is to better understand how existing infrastructure can meet future energy needs before additional upgrades or new lines are required.

Potential benefits include:

• Enhanced service reliability for thousands of homes and businesses
• Additional capacity to support economic development and growing energy demand
• Valuable insights that can help guide future investments in Pennsylvania's electric grid, ensuring dollars are spent wisely and customer costs are kept to a minimum.

Testing Advanced Grid Technologies in Western Pennsylvania
As part of the project, KATCo plans to install advanced equipment on an existing transmission line between Butler and Karns City in western Pennsylvania. The project will evaluate Dynamic Line Ratings, which use sensors and real-time data, much like weather radar helps track changing conditions, to provide a more accurate picture of how transmission lines are performing. Advanced Power Flow Controllers, which function like traffic signals for electricity by directing power to less-congested transmission paths, will also be evaluated as part of this pilot. Together, these technologies could help reduce congestion on the grid and improve how electricity is delivered across the region while keeping costs as low as possible for customers.

Building on Existing Infrastructure
The Butler County area was selected for the pilot because certain operating conditions in northern Pennsylvania can create higher power flows on transmission lines locally. KATCo will be able to evaluate how the technologies perform under real-world conditions and whether they could be applied elsewhere on the transmission system.

The project represents an approximately $20.2 million investment, with funding shared by KATCo and the U.S. Department of Energy. Work is expected to begin in early 2027 and continue over multiple years as participating organizations evaluate the technologies' performance and potential applications across the electric grid.

KATCo's initiative is one of several FirstEnergy transmission projects selected to receive U.S. Department of Energy funding. Similar pilot projects in Ohio and West Virginia are expected to begin next year, providing additional opportunities to evaluate advanced transmission technologies and share lessons learned across the company's transmission network.

"Strong partnerships are essential to building the grid of the future," said Mark Mroczynski, President of Transmission for FirstEnergy. "We're grateful for the federal funding and collaboration that make projects like this possible. By working alongside EPRI, the Department of Energy and other industry partners, we're able to evaluate innovative technologies that could strengthen reliability, make better use of existing infrastructure and help meet our customers' future energy needs."

About FirstEnergy Transmission and FirstEnergy Corp.
FirstEnergy Transmission, jointly owned by FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and Brookfield Super-Core Infrastructure Partners, owns and operates American Transmission Systems Inc. (ATSI), Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission LLC (MAIT) and Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company (TrAILCo).

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 six 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 on X @FirstEnergyCorp or online at firstenergycorp.com.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

When will FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania grid technology pilot begin?

Work is expected to begin in early 2027 and continue over multiple years while participating organizations evaluate technology performance and potential applications.

Why was Butler County selected for FirstEnergy's grid pilot?

Butler County was selected because certain operating conditions in northern Pennsylvania can create higher power flows on local transmission lines. The location will allow KATCo to evaluate the technologies under real-world conditions and assess whether they could be applied elsewhere on the transmission system.