Dive Brief:
- Looking to support the gas boom in northern West Virginia, FirstEnergy Corp. is working on about $100 million in new transmission projects along with evaluating additional system upgrades.
- The new facilities, largely aimed at supplying power to the needs of Marcellus Shale gas producers, will also enhance electric service reliability for customers of Mon Power, a First Energy subsidary.
- The new facilities include high-voltage substations and transmission lines to accommodate expanding natural gas processing facilities and other energy-intensive operations.
Dive Insight:
The Marcellus Shale gas boom continues and FirstEnergy is rushing to expand transmission to meet the needs of the exploration and production industry. The company said new gas customer facilities account for projected load growth of about 400 MW through 2019, or the equivalent of about 200,000 new homes on its electric distribution subsidiary Mon Power's system.
"FirstEnergy's infrastructure enhancements continue to help support the fast-growing Marcellus gas activity in West Virginia," said Holly Kauffman, FirstEnergy's president of West Virginia Operations.
Among the projects is the new Waldo Run transmission substation and a short 138-kV transmission line in Doddridge County near Sherwood, W.Va., FirstEnergy said the $52 million project is expected to support industrial users and enhance electric service to more than 6,000 customers in Doddridge, Harrison, and Ritchie counties.
FirstEnergy is also working on a 138-kV transmission line to support the natural gas industry as well as enhance service reliability for nearly 13,000 customers in the Clarksburg and Salem, West Virginia, areas. The 18-mile, $55 million Oak Mound-Waldo Run transmission project is expected to be placed into service by December 2015.
The company said it is also evaluating additional transmission upgrades as new service requests from shale gas developers continue throughout the Mon Power territory. FirstEnergy is considering new transmission facilities in Wetzel County to support a midstream gas processing plant that continues to expand.
FirstEnergy said it will spend $250 million on regulated transmission upgrades to accommodate about 1,100 MW of load growth expected through 2019.
