FirstEnergy : New Ohio Edison Substation Enhances Service Reliability for Customers in Lisbon Area

AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 18, 2017 -- Ohio Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), will energize a new $2.5 million substation near Lisbon, Ohio, later this month to enhance customer service reliability and help meet future demand for electricity in the area.

The substation, located in Guilford, was built in less than ten months using a standard design that was more cost effective and helped to expedite construction. The project included using precast concrete foundations, a large transformer, switching gear, and circuit breakers. Animal protection devices made out of polymer material also were installed on key parts of the equipment to help reduce outages caused by squirrels and other animals.

'The new substation is designed to help enhance service reliability for more than 30,000 customers in Columbiana County, while helping to prepare our system for future load growth,' said Randall A. Frame, regional president of Ohio Edison. 'This project is the fifth modular substation we have completed in the Ohio Edison area over the past several years. In addition to reducing the construction schedule, the standardized design also helps reduce maintenance costs.'

The substation is connected to the existing Ohio Edison system in the region using two underground circuits that were built as part of this project. Specialized communications equipment also was installed at the substation to remotely monitor operations. If needed, circuit breakers or other relay devices can be reset automatically to help reduce the duration of an outage.

The substation project is part of FirstEnergy's previously announced plan to invest more than $369 million last year in distribution and transmission infrastructure projects to enhance service reliability in Ohio Edison's service area. More than $225 million of the total was expected to be spent on transmission-related projects owned by American Transmission Systems, Incorporated, a FirstEnergy transmission company.

Ohio Edison is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. and serves more than one million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on Twitter @OhioEdison, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OhioEdison, and online at www.ohioedison.com.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 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 more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: Photos of the new Ohio Edison substation near Lisbon, Ohio, are available for download on Flickr.