Works started earlier this month and are expected to be completed by December 2020. It is part of Penn Power's second phase Long Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan (LTIIP II), approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to help enhance electric services and ensure supply security.
Projects underway in Lawrence County include the installation of roughly 300 new poles and the replacement of more than 50,000 feet of power lines with thicker, more durable wire. Additional circuit ties are being created so that the power flow can be re-routed to customers from another source if a line is damaged.
A dozen of automated reclosing devices is also being installed that can help restore electricity to customers within seconds in the event of a power outage. The new, automated technology is safer and saves time and money as utility workers can restore the service remotely.
Penn Power’s service area includes more than 160,000 customers in all or parts of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Lawrence and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania. The utility’s transmission arm operates about 24,500 miles of power lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.