FirstEnergy invest millions in Ohio Edison upgrades

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning Valley will see its share of electric-system upgrades this year as FirstEnergy Corp. plans to spend more than $475 million on projects designed to enhance service reliability and decrease outages in its Ohio Edison service area.

The investment nearly doubles what the company spent last year on infrastructure upgrades in the territory of its Ohio Edison subsidiary.

Of the $475 million total investment, $344 million will go toward transmission-related projects.

Mark Durbin, a FirstEnergy spokesman, said the move reflects a 2012 decision to close power plants in northeastern Ohio due to the high cost of converting those systems to meet new environmental standards.

The heavy investment in transmission projects will mitigate the effect on customers and will make service more reliable, he added.

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