Met-Ed Inspects Lines, Trimming Trees in 8 Municipalities

READING PA – Inspections and tree-trimming work are under way along more than 2,000 miles of electric power lines in 15 Pennsylvania counties. The locations include eight local boroughs and townships, FirstEnergy Corp. says.

Workers from Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed), the FirstEnergy subsidiary serving the Tri-County area, by late June (2024) had already completed pruning across 950 line miles. Trimming on another 1,210 miles should be finished later this year, it reports.

The work includes mileage through:

• New Hanover, Upper Frederick, and Upper Hanover townships in western Montgomery County;
• Bally and Bechtelsville boroughs, and Douglass and Hereford townships in eastern Berks County; and
• Warwick Township in northern Chester County.

This year’s hot, humid summer months are expected to produce higher electric usage for air conditioning, and potentially severe weather. The vegetation management effort is part of an equipment maintenance and inspection program. The goal is to enhance service reliability for customers across its service area, according to Met-Ed.

The maintenance helps “ensure our system is prepared for increased electrical demand when temperatures climb,” FirstEnergy Pennsylvania President John Hawkins said in a media release. It also minimizes “the length and impact of service interruptions” if power outages occur, he added.

Inspecting lines for problems

Elsewhere, substation electricians are using thermal cameras during their inspections to capture infrared images. See the video above.

Imaging can “detect potential problems within substations, and on power lines, that cannot be observed during regular visual inspections,” the company noted. Images can identify equipment issues – such as loose connections, corrosion and load imbalances – for necessary repairs.

Met-Ed operates dozens of substations, including one on North Charlotte Street in New Hanover.

FirstEnergy electric distribution companies serve customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. Its transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Video and photo provided to Travels With The Post by FirstEnergy Corp.