New Electric Substation to Boost Power Supply in Fast Growing Lebanon County

READING, Pa., Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiary doing business as Met-Ed in southeastern Pennsylvania, is building a new substation off bustling Route 422 in South Annville Township that will supply electricity to new, massive warehouse facilities in a growing industrial complex.

New distribution lines will link the substation to the local electric network, enhancing service reliability for more than 2,100 Met-Ed customers in Annville, South Annville Township and Palmyra where electrical load growth is on the rise. When completed, the project will offer a backup power feed that will help keep the lights on for nearby customers if wires or equipment on their regular line are damaged or need to be taken out of service.

John Hawkins, FirstEnergy's President, Pennsylvania: "Our new substation will provide the critical infrastructure necessary to energize an enormous shipping hub in the busy motor freight corridor encompassing Interstates 78 and 81 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It will also provide operational flexibility for our local electric grid to better serve our residential and business customers in these fast-growing communities."

Construction of the substation started in spring 2024 and is expected to be completed by early 2025.

Met-Ed substation crews have installed steel structures, circuit breakers, electrical cables and other substation equipment. Delivery of the 69-kilovolt (kV)-to-13.2-kV transformer – the heart of the substation – is expected in December. The transformer will measure 13.5-feet tall by 20-feet wide and weigh more than 100,000 pounds.

Two short power lines will exit the substation, with plans to expand those lines and build a third power line from the substation in the future. One line will serve the 1.1-million-square-foot Eagle Point Logistics Center next to the substation. The second line will supply a new 1 million-square-foot facility directly across Killinger Road from the substation, the first of three warehouses planned for the Clear Springs Logistics Park. That line will run north to Route 422 and connect with an existing power line to provide additional operational flexibility when work is completed.

In parallel with the substation work, contractors are constructing a new 69-kV transmission line to supply the new substation with power from an existing transmission line. The line will be attached to 16 steel poles standing 45 to 70 feet tall.                          

The work is part of Energize365, a multi-year grid evolution program focused on transmission and distribution investments that will deliver the power FirstEnergy's customers depend on today while also meeting the challenges of tomorrow. With planned investments of $26 billion between 2024 and 2028, the program will create a smarter, more secure grid that will meet and exceed reliability targets and accommodate electric vehicles, the electrification of homes and businesses and clean energy sources.

Met-Ed serves approximately 592,000 customers within 3,300 square miles of eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania. Follow Met-Ed on X @Met Ed and on Facebook at facebook.com/MetEdElectric.

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 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. Visit FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and follow FirstEnergy on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: Construction photos of the new substation and power line are available for download on Flickr.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.