Electric Upgrades Boost Reliability for McKean County Customers

Work part of $538 million investment to benefit Penelec customers

ERIE, Pa., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) known in northwestern Pennsylvania as Penelec, has completed a major upgrade in McKean County to provide more reliable and resilient electric service for more than 1,000 Bradford and Bradford Township customers.

New underground cable for three power lines served by a local substation is helping to reduce outages, speed power restoration and support local growth. The project builds on work completed in 2024, when Penelec installed a new substation transformer that delivers more electricity and better meets the community's power needs.

John Hawkins, FirstEnergy President, Pennsylvania: "We know how much our customers count on reliable electricity every day to brighten their homes and power their businesses. We're investing in new equipment to get ahead of outages before they happen – and respond faster when they do. These upgrades are expected to make a real difference for the Bradford community."

Upgrades That Deliver Impact

The work includes:

• Installing stronger cables: New, bigger underground wires can carry more electricity to local homes and businesses.
• Adding backup capabilities: Redundant power lines mean customers can be switched to another line to minimize power outages when issues arise.
• Protecting new equipment: Sturdy plastic pipes better protect underground power lines from water, road salt and corrosive soil to keep electricity more reliable.
• Completing additional upgrades in 2026: Adjustments to existing pole-top equipment in the coming year will make it easier to reroute electricity and further reduce outages.

Photos of the underground cable installation are available on Flickr.

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 Penelec's service area is $538 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. 

Penelec serves approximately 597,000 customers within 17,600 square miles of northern and central Pennsylvania and western New York. Follow Penelec on X @Penelec and on Facebook at facebook.com/PenelecElectric.

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

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.