Met-Ed installing Smart Grid enhancements in eastern Pennsylvania

On Monday, Met-Ed, a FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary in Eastern Pennsylvania, announced it was installing smart, automated equipment on power lines service more than 24,000 in that part of the state.

Officials said the smart grid project will help prevent or minimize outages, particularly in severe weather.

“These upgrades to our energy delivery system will help prevent or minimize the impact of power outages for our Met-Ed customers in numerous communities across York and Adams counties,” John Hawkins, FirstEnergy’s President, Pennsylvania, said. “This important work is part of our Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP) II, a $153 million initiative to accelerate investments in our Met-Ed system over five years to help ensure continued reliable electric service for our customers.”

The project includes installing 53 automated switching devices outfitted with supervisory control and data acquisition technology on overhead power lines. The devices are able to relay information in real-time about voltage and electric conditions to system operators. Officials said the remote-control devices work like a circuit break and shuts off power when trouble is detected. The automated switches are safer and more efficient, officials said, and allow system operators to remotely isolate damage, that can limit the number of affected customers while restoring service to other customers without sending a crew to determine the problem.

Additionally, the devices can pinpoint the location of the fault and help utility personnel understand the cause, which can speed up restoration.

Officials said the work is part of Energize 365, a multi-year grid enhancement program that focuses on transmission and distribution investments. With planned $26 billion program will create a smarter, more secure grid that will meet reliability targets and accommodate electric vehicles, officials said.

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