Mon Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is upgrading a transmission substation near Thomas, W.Va., to help connect a new wind farm to the regional electric grid. The work is also expected to enhance electric service to Mon Power customers in the area.
The centerpiece of the $2.2 million substation project is installing a 138 kV transformer capable of accommodating the output from a new wind farm being built by a developer in nearby Grant County. Substation transformers enable higher transmission voltages to be changed to lower levels that can be used by customers to power electrical devices, explains FirstEnergy.
Slated for completion in late November, the upgrade includes a new circuit breaker and relay devices, which automatically interrupt the flow of electricity to protect equipment from events such as tree-related outages or lightning strikes.
The operator of the new wind farm in northwestern Grant County will build an 11-mile, 138 kV transmission line that will connect to the substation.
“We work with energy project developers to help efficiently connect their new facilities to the grid, along with supporting existing baseload technology,” says Holly Kauffman, president of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia operations. “The substation improvements also will help provide redundancy to enhance service reliability for Mon Power customers in the area.”
Photo courtesy of FirstEnergy Corp.
