FirstEnergy Transmission Begins $24M Grid Upgrade for 16,000 Customers
FirstEnergy Transmission is investing $24 million to rebuild three miles of the Niles Central-Packard 138-kV line in Trumbull County, replacing wooden poles with 22 steel structures and thicker wire to enhance service for over 16,000 Ohio Edison customers. Construction runs through end of summer, joining a $36 billion Energize365 grid modernization plan.
1. Project Scope
FirstEnergy Transmission is investing $24 million to rebuild nearly three miles of the Niles Central-Packard 138-kV line in Trumbull County, replacing aging wooden poles with 22 steel structures and installing thicker wire to enhance service reliability for more than 16,000 Ohio Edison customers.
2. Reliability and Capacity Benefits
The upgraded infrastructure aims to reduce high-voltage line outages—which have fallen 50% since 2014—support higher electricity loads during extreme weather and enable faster power rerouting and restoration when issues occur.
3. Construction Timeline
Work began last fall and is scheduled for completion by the end of summer, with crews installing concrete foundations, steel poles and modern conductors throughout Howland and Bazetta townships.
4. Strategic Investment Context
This $24 million local project is part of FirstEnergy’s long-term Energize365 initiative, which allocates $36 billion between 2026 and 2030 to modernize and strengthen grid reliability across its service territory.