PENNSYLVANIA — Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed), a FirstEnergy subsidiary, is completing inspections and conducting equipment maintenance in its 14-county eastern and south-central Pennsylvania service area to enhance service reliability for customers.

Cost-effective helicopter patrols have completed inspections of about 1,380 miles of transmission lines located in the Met-Ed area. The inspections are designed to look for damaged wire, broken cross arms, failed insulators and other hardware problems not visible from the ground.  Any potential reliability issues identified during the inspections will be addressed, the company said in a press release.

On the ground, Met-Ed crews are wrapping up inspections of distribution circuit components – including transformers, capacitors, reclosers and lightning arrestors – to ensure the equipment is operational and the lines are ready to perform efficiently with elevated summer electrical demand, typically due to air conditioning usage.

Substation electricians use thermovision cameras during summer-readiness inspections to capture infrared images that can detect potential problems with substation equipment such as transformers and capacitors. By identifying hot spots, maintenance and repairs can be conducted prior to a power outage occurring.

"Our customers fight searing summer heat and humidity with fans and air conditioning to stay comfortable," said Linda Moss, Met-Ed regional president. "To help ensure our system is reliable and prepared for increased electrical demand when temperatures soar, we proactively inspect and maintain our equipment."

Source: FirstEnergy