FirstEnergy subsidiaries Potomac Edison and Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission (MAIT) have been awarded transmission projects totaling more than $800 million in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia by regional transmission organization PJM Interconnection.
“At FirstEnergy, we are committed to doing our part to make sure that the transmission system delivers the power customers depend on, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to make these important upgrades that will enhance reliability and deliver long-term benefits for years to come,” says FirstEnergy’s vice president of transmission, Carl Bridenbaugh.
This month, the PJM Board of Managers approved three FirstEnergy-affiliated projects:
- Upgrading an existing 24-mile transmission line that runs from Adams County, Pa., to Carroll County, Md. The upgraded line will feature a new set of 230 kV wires, in addition to the existing 115/138 kV circuit currently in the corridor. MAIT will also rewire a nearby 115 kV transmission line and complete additional equipment upgrades.
- Upgrading a transmission line in Maryland’s Frederick and Montgomery counties. The current 500 kV and double-circuit 230 kV lines will be rebuilt to accommodate side-by-side transmission structures, each featuring sets of 500 kV wires over 230 kV wires for a total of four circuits. One 500/230 kV double circuit will extend 8 miles from Potomac Edison’s existing Doubs Substation in Frederick County to a substation in Montgomery County owned by Exelon Corp., and the other circuit will continue south another 7 miles to the Virginia state line. The $235 million project includes associated upgrades at the Doubs Substation.
- Upgrading 36 miles of an existing 138 kV transmission line in Virginia and West Virginia to create a double-circuit line with 500 kV wires installed over 138 kV wires. Located in Frederick and Clark counties in Virginia and in Jefferson County, W. Va., the $392 million project includes substation upgrades and is part of a larger, 160-mile transmission line project that was awarded by PJM to multiple transmission companies.
