Big Upgrades Completed to Meet Future Energy Demands in Western Pennsylvania
Electric service upgrades part of $368 million investment to benefit West Penn Power customers
GREENSBURG, Pa., Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A major upgrade has been completed in Westmoreland County to make electric service more reliable and resilient for 2,300 West Penn Power customers in Unity and Hempfield townships.
FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company (FE PA), a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) company known in western Pennsylvania as West Penn Power, has rebuilt a key section of its local power grid to help reduce outages, speed restoration times and support local growth.
Upgraded Grid, Stronger Service
A one-mile section of new, larger wire running along White School Road between the Dry Ridge Fire Station and Sawmill Road will carry more electricity, helping to reduce the frequency of outages and accommodate new homes and businesses. The upgrades also include new utility poles, crossarms and transformers.
John Hawkins, FirstEnergy President, Pennsylvania: "We're energized to deliver these vital upgrades, bringing more reliable, resilient electric service that can better handle severe weather. The new equipment not only allows us to restore power faster during storms and maintenance – it reflects an investment in a stronger grid that empowers our communities to grow."
Upgrades that Deliver Impact
The project includes:
- More power, more reliability: Installing larger wires and upgrading sections of the line from one or two wires to three supports increased demand and maintains voltage for existing homes and businesses.
- New equipment: Replacing 10 wooden utility poles, 22 crossarms, several transformers and other hardware helps keep the lights on.
- Tree trimming: Clearing branches and trees near new pole locations reduces outage risk.
- Flexible operations: Installing a manual switch on the line allows crews to more easily isolate damage and reroute power, speeding repairs.
Supporting Your Neighborhood
Residents of the Jamell Acres, Glenn-Aire, Mountain Laurel, East High Acres, Country Estates and Timbercrest housing plans and around Route 30 will benefit from the project. The switching work will also benefit about 1,500 customers in the West Point and Eastgate areas of Hempfield Township.
Work started in May and was completed several weeks ago.
Photos of newly installed poles and crews installing wire along White School Road in Unity Township are available on Flickr.
Part of a Larger Plan
This project builds on steps taken in 2024, when West Penn Power installed wildlife guards – special rubber boots or sleeves that keep squirrels and other animals from causing outages on heavily wooded lines.
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 West Penn Power's service area is $368 million.
LTIIP is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's $28 billion investment program to modernize the electric grid across the footprint between 2025 and 2029. The goal: a smarter, more secure grid that meets the needs of today's customers and tomorrow's growth.
West Penn Power serves approximately 725,000 customers in 24 counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on X @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at facebook.com/WestPennPower.
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. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.