Penelec, a Pennsylvania-based electricity utility and part of the FirstEnergy family, recently installed a new transformer at its Bradford substation, aiming to improve service reliability for over 1,000 customers, including the University of Pittsburgh’s Bradford campus. The move is part of the utility’s larger commitment to maintaining reliable energy delivery across Pennsylvania, where it serves over 600,000 customers across 31 counties.

The Bradford upgrade was prompted by an unexpected transformer failure in August 2023, which resulted in a temporary service interruption. Todd Meyers, a Penelec spokesperson, noted that while the outage wasn’t due to weather, the transformer was beyond repair, leading Penelec to deploy a mobile substation until a new unit could be installed. The replacement transformer has been operating successfully for over two months.

The installation is part of Penelec’s Energize365 program, a grid evolution initiative designed to improve reliability through investments in transmission and distribution. As John Hawkins, FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania president, explained, “Resolving this critical issue was a top priority so we could provide reliable electric service to our customers, including industrial facilities and the local Pitt campus.” The new transformer also includes forced-air cooling fans for greater efficiency compared to the previous unit’s natural air cooling.

The utility also improved access to the Bradford substation by adding a new gate on Catalpa Street to minimize street obstruction by utility trucks. This follows tree-trimming work earlier this year, which has already reduced the number of tree-related outages in the area.

With future infrastructure projects already planned, Penelec continues its dedication to dependable service for Pennsylvania residents across its service regions, supporting local customers and retail energy providers in the state’s deregulated energy market.