On July 19, West Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. announced it has begun work to connect a pair of solar energy projects in Fulton and Franklin counties to the electric grid.

The two solar farms are being developed by global power company AES Corporation and will generate 220 megawatts of clean, renewable energy designated for a customer power purchase agreement with the University of Pennsylvania.

The University of Pennsylvania signed an agreement in April 2020 with Community Energy, later acquired by AES Corporation, to construct the two solar facilities in Franklin and Fulton counties.

The two facilities will provide the University with about 75% of the electricity needed for the University campus and health system.  Read more here.

"FirstEnergy is committed to supporting the global energy transition to renewable resources, and we are pleased to work with AES to help facilitate the delivery of clean energy through connection of these new solar projects," said Carl Bridenbaugh, FirstEnergy's vice president of transmission. "This work aligns with FirstEnergy's long-term strategy of pursuing opportunities that help enable the transition to a clean, resilient energy future."

For the first project, West Penn Power will expand its McConnellsburg substation in Fulton County and add a new terminal at the substation to provide a connection point for a 70-megawatt solar farm that AES is developing in Ayr Township.

The second project is a 150-megawatt solar farm in Peters and Saint Thomas Townships in Franklin County.

West Penn Power is constructing a new substation on McDowell Road that will serve as an interconnection for the farm.

AES will build a 138-kilovolt line from the solar farm into the substation, and West Penn Power will add a 378-foot loop to connect the substation to one of its existing 138-kilovolt transmission lines that runs between the company's Guilford and McConnellsburg substations.

The company will make upgrades at the Guilford and McConnellsburg substations to support the solar project as well.

West Penn Power expects to complete the connection work for both projects in late 2023, with the two solar farms expected to be in service and delivering clean energy in early 2024.

FirstEnergy continues to make investments that support clean energy and improve grid reliability and resiliency.

Through its multi-year Energizing the Future initiative, the company is upgrading its transmission system with advanced equipment and technologies that will reinforce the power grid and help reduce the frequency and duration of customer outages.

Since 2014, FirstEnergy has upgraded or replaced existing power lines, incorporated smart technology into the grid and upgraded dozens of substations with new equipment and enhanced security features.

Through 2022, FirstEnergy has invested more than $10 billion in the Energizing the Future initiative.

(Photo: Example of a utility-scale solar energy facility in Lancaster County.)

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-- West Penn Power Starts Construction Of Projects To Connect 2 Solar Energy Facilities Generating 220 MW Of Renewable Energy To The Grid In Fulton And Franklin Counties  [PaEN]

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[Posted: July 19, 2023]

7/24/2023