Latest news with #Penelec
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FirstEnergy helicopter crews inspecting thousands of miles of power lines
(WJET/WFXP)– You may notice more helicopters in the area flying relatively low in the coming months, as FirstEnergy begins its powerline inspections ahead of the summer. FirstEnergy helicopter crews will be inspecting more than 5,000 miles of high-voltage power lines across Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to identify any issues in need of repairs and avoid potential outages. Paul Miller Law goes into effect soon, here's what to know During these, chopper crews will be flying relatively close to powerlines at about 25-35 mph and using infrared and UV cameras on them to find 'hot spots' or overheated parts or voltage issues that need repairs, along with any other issues. According to a release, these inspections are part of a four-year, $28 billion investment plan to keep up with energy demands, with inspections already underway in the following areas: Ohio – 1,046 miles of power lines, with nearly 64% completed. Pennsylvania – 2,220 miles of lines, with about 50% completed. New Jersey – 630 miles of lines, with about 42% completed. West Virginia & Maryland – 648 miles of lines, with about 20% completed. Penelec completes system upgrades for Venango, Crawford Counties 'The transmission system is the first line of defense in preventing power outages because it supplies the electricity that flows into substations and along power lines to every single one of our customers. This work supports the vast investments we're making to strengthen our power system to meet the country's growing energy needs,' said Mark Mroczynski, president of FirstEnergy Transmission. The inspections are done every four years with all of FirstEnergy's subsidiary companies. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
More power outages reported after another round of storms hits area
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A busy Conemaugh Valley road was reopened to traffic, but another round of thunderstorms caused a reported resurgence in power outages across the region Thursday night. According to online outage tracker more than 15,500 Cambria County electricity customers were without power as of 11 p.m. Thursday. That was 10,000 more outages than were reported in the county eight hours earlier – and also exceeded the totals from Wednesday evening in an area still reeling from Tuesday's powerful storm. Outages could remain for 'days', barn destroyed in Portage area Cambria County's 911 Center didn't need its call logs to gauge the extent of the widespread issues caused by a Tuesday storm. Reports of downed trees and wires kept Cambria County 911 officials and emergency responders busy Thursday evening, a Cambria 911 supervisor said. As of 10 p.m. Thursday, St. Clair Road in the Johnstown area was closed to traffic. Other roads reopened Thursday. William Penn Avenue was reopened early Thursday. It had been closed for more than 36 hours near Keiper Lane in East Taylor Township after a row of power lines was disrupted by a wind-downed evergreen tree during Tuesday's storm. Repair work on those lines also helped get power restored to much of the East Taylor Township area as of Thursday afternoon. The community went dark around 6 p.m. Tuesday, township fire Chief Alan Buchan said. Utility crews were working across the region for much of the day Thursday to address downed lines and other outages caused by Tuesday's storm, mirroring a task repeated across much of western Pennsylvania. Outages impacting region, 911 center; barn destroyed in Munster Township Cambria County's 911 Center didn't need to check its call logs to gauge the extent of the widespread issues caused by a Tuesday storm. Much of Somerset County was spared the worst of Tuesday's storm. Outages were widespread in the northern tier of the county, but as of Thursday morning, fewer than 20 customers in the county were still without power, most of them in the Boswell area, Penelec's outage map showed. Rare damage Straight-line winds during Tuesday's storm caused havoc across western Pennsylvania. FirstEnergy officials reported Thursday that the strength of the gusts in at least one part of Cambria County hit rare levels. Citing National Weather Service estimates, they said winds might have reached 120 mph when they mangled a cellphone tower near Carrolltown. That's comparable to an EF-2 tornado's wind speeds, albeit without the rotation. National Weather Service officials reported to FirstEnergy that no other wind damage was visible adjacent to the damaged tower. 'The recent storm in the greater Pittsburgh area is our second-worst on record since 2009 in western Pennsylvania, ranking among the top storms in the company's history in terms of impact,' said FirstEnergy President John Hawkins, whose company's territory also saw severe damage in the city of Pittsburgh. FirstEnergy was working to restore power for approximately 100,000 homes across much of western Pennsylvania after restoring power to 275,000 more this week. 'Help is available' Cambria County Area Agency on Aging Administrator Veil Griffith reminded older residents that there is help available for those in need. Whether it's a hot meal or a bright, welcoming place to sleep at night, help is just a phone call away, Griffith said. She said the region's senior centers remain open all day across the county, with lunch offered. The Cambria County Area Agency on Aging's phone number is 814-539-5595. The Portage location was closed Wednesday due to the community's outage, but all nine Cambria County centers, spanning from Johnstown to Patton, were open as of Thursday to community members 60 and older. The county's senior activity centers are open Monday through Friday. But there are other avenues for support, too, Griffith added. Meals can be dropped off at residences. And for people who are uncomfortable spending another night in the dark, the Area Agency on Aging can arrange temporary lodging somewhere that has electricity, she said. 'If there is an older adult in need, whatever the need is, they can always call our area agency, even if it's something they don't think is very serious,' Griffith said. 'We're here to help.' She said the region is fortunate that temperatures have been so mild this week. Frigid conditions or intense humidity would have posed greater problems, she added. 'And with daylight savings time, it is light outside longer right now,' Griffith said. Water, ice provided Free water and ice were available to Pennsylvania customers who remain without power. Customers could visit participating Giant or Giant Eagle stores to receive two one-gallon bottles of water or one 24-pack of bottled water, and two seven- to nine-pound bags of ice or one 20- to 25-pound bag of ice, FirstEnergy officials said. FirstEnergy said customers should let the store know at checkout that they are a FirstEnergy customer without power. A list of participating stores was available online at The list included all three Giant Eagle stores in Greater Johnstown, as well as locations at 881 College Plaza in the Ebensburg area and 7 Cottonwood St. in Northern Cambria. Another round A new round of storms swept through the region late Thursday afternoon. The system was expected to bring wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, and potentially higher in some areas, with an additional risk of scattered thunderstorms. FirstEnergy officials predicted the storm could slow electricity restoration efforts. Winds at 40 mph or greater aren't safe for crews working in bucket trucks, who often have to hoist team members toward treetops to make repairs. 'As we continue our efforts to restore power to every last customer, we urge everyone to prioritize safety. We deeply appreciate your continued patience and support of our field,' Hawkins said. Early forecasts for Saturday were also predicting a chance for additional thunderstorms.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands of Personnel Engaged in FirstEnergy's Power Restoration Effort in Pennsylvania and West Virginia
Crews continue working 24/7 to restore service to 150,000 customers following intense storm GREENSBURG, Pa., May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Power has been restored to more than 275,000 of the 380,000 FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) customers impacted by the April 29 storm that produced significant, widespread damage due to heavy rain and excessive winds in many parts of the service area. More than 4,750 internal and external resources are working 24/7 to restore power to customers who remain without service in the hardest hit areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. John Hawkins, President, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania: "The recent storm in the greater Pittsburgh area is our second worst on record since 2009 in western Pennsylvania, ranking among the top storms in the company's history in terms of impact. The widespread area of straight-line winds – such as the 110-120 mph wind speeds reported in Cambria County by the National Weather Service – caused hundreds of instances of broken poles, downed wires and equipment damage across our western and central Pennsylvania footprint. As we continue our efforts to restore power to every last customer, we urge everyone to prioritize safety. We deeply appreciate your continued patience and support of our field personnel." Company personnel are also preparing to respond to service interruptions caused by another severe weather system that is expected to bring strong wind gusts and potential thunderstorms this afternoon to portions of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. The system is expected to bring wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour – and potentially higher in some areas with an additional risk of scattered thunderstorms. The high winds could slow restoration efforts, as crews cannot safely operate bucket trucks when wind speeds exceed 40 miles per hour. Current outage updates as of 11 a.m. today include: West Penn Power: Approximately 197,000 FirstEnergy Pennsylvania customers in the West Penn Power service area lost power from the storm, and 78,500 remain without power. Penelec: Approximately 107,400 FirstEnergy Pennsylvania customers in the Penelec service area lost power from the storm, and 13,600 remain without power. Penn Power: Approximately 13,600 FirstEnergy Pennsylvania customers in the Penn Power service area lost power from the storm, and 2,300 remain without power. Mon Power: Approximately 36,300 Mon Power customers lost power from the storm, and 5,300 remain without power. Power will be restored to most customers by 11 p.m. this evening. Established while crews are restoring power and assessing the full extent of damages, the initial "global estimated time of restoration" (ETR) represents an estimate of when service will be restored to the majority of customers following major outage events. Many customers will have their power restored before that time. Work to restore power continues around the clock, and many customers will have service restored sooner, based on the level of damage in their area. Listed below are the ETRs by county for customers served by Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power. If your county is not listed, please log into your account at or text STAT to 544487 if you are registered for text alerts to get your specific outage ETR. Allegheny County – Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m. Armstrong County – Monday, May 5, by 3 p.m. Blair County – Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m. Butler County – Customers served by Penn Power are expected to have power restored by Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m. Customers served by West Penn Power are expected to have power restored by Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m. Centre County – Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m. Clearfield County – Many customers in the county are expected to have power restored by Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.; customers in the hardest hit areas of the county expected to have power restored by Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m. Greene County – Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m. Indiana County - Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m. Mifflin County – Friday, May 2, by 11 p.m. Washington County - Many customers in the county are expected to have power restored by Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.; customers in the hardest hit areas of the county expected to have power restored by Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m. Westmoreland County - Many customers in the county are expected to have power restored by Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.; customers in the hardest hit areas of the county expected to have power restored by Monday, May 5, by 3 p.m. As additional information about necessary repairs is understood, more detailed ETRs will be provided. Customers can view their current individual ETR for their particular outage by logging into their account at texting STAT to 54487, or viewing the outage map at If they have not done so already, customers who are without power can call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or text OUT to 544487 to report their outage or click the "Outages" link on Free water and ice is available to Pennsylvania customers who remain without power. Customers can visit a participating Giant or Giant Eagle store to receive two 1-gallon bottles of water or one 24-pack of bottled water and two 7-9 pound bags of ice or one 20-25-pound of ice. Please let the store know that you are a FirstEnergy customer without power at checkout. A list of participating stores is available online FirstEnergy's Restoration Process: FirstEnergy follows a formal restoration process after severe weather, focusing on repairs that will address the largest number of customers before moving on to more isolated issues. The restoration effort typically begins with transmission and substation facilities and then prioritizes critical facilities like hospitals, communications and emergency response agencies. Additionally, hundreds of isolated issues affect individual or small numbers of customers. These are the most time-consuming repairs because they require our crews to go to each individual location to make the repairs. Many of the isolated issues include repairs to "service drops," which are wires attached to each home to deliver electricity from the neighborhood power line. These wires are often damaged by fallen trees and large branches. For updated information on the company's current outages, storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit FirstEnergy's 24/7 Power Center at To learn more about navigating the recently updated map, please visit Generator Safety Reminder: To ensure the safety of the home's occupants as well as that of electric company employees who may be working on power lines in the area, the proper generator should be selected and installed by a qualified electrician. When operating a generator, the power coming into the home should always be disconnected. Otherwise, power from the generator could be sent back onto the power lines, creating a hazardous situation for company workers. Locate the generator outside of your home and far away from windows, doors and vents. Never locate a generator inside your home. View additional generator safety information. FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at and follow FirstEnergy and its operating companies on X, formerly known as Twitter, @FirstEnergyCorp, @IlluminatingCo, @OhioEdison,. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Outages impacting region, 911 center; barn destroyed in Munster Township
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Cambria County's 911 Center didn't need to check its call logs to gauge the extent of the widespread issues caused by a Tuesday storm. The center was still running on a generator 16 hours later – among thousands of customers in the region still without power, Emergency Management Director Tom Davis said. "Our power went out at 6:30 p.m. (Tuesday) – and the generator has been on ever since," said Davis. "We have to be prepared for the worst ... just like everyone else." The county's propane-fueled generator system enables the county's staff to continue answering calls and dispatching incidents to local responders, without limitations – and Tuesday's storm kept them busy, with reports of widespread outages, downed trees and a steel Carrolltown cellphone that was bent in half while still planted to its foundation near Sunset Road. A Munster Township barn was also destroyed by winds, while cattle were trapped inside, Davis said. Cambria and the northernmost area of Somerset County had reports of outages – and in some cases, downed trees and wires. The region's issues weren't unique Wednesday. As of 11:15 a.m., Penelec reported 189,000 customers were still without power across a region that spread from Beaver County and Pittsburgh to Johnstown, Altoona and State College. More than 270,000 were without power after the storm swept through around 6 p.m. a day earlier. The utility company's outage map was cluttered with perhaps 1,000 individual incidents across western Pennsylvania, including at least 85 outages in the Cambria-Somerset region that crews were working to address. Penelec Spokesman Todd Meyers told The Tribune-Democrat late Tuesday that it will likely take days – not hours – for the outages to all be addressed. Because much of western Pennsylvania was struck, rather than one concentrated area, Penelec crews and their line repair subcontractors have a long list of issues to address. Indiana-based REA Energy Cooperative, which provides electricity to residents in across parts of central and northern Cambria County, indicated nearly 18,000 customers lost power Tuesday. By 9:45 a.m., that number was reduced to 15,000, the company wrote. Somerset County Emergency Management Director Joel Landis said this week's storm is the just the latest of several that have inflicted severe wind damage over the past two months. A previous storm destroyed barns in Somerset County. "We (avoided) the worst of it (Tuesday) ... but this trend is getting more and more common," Landis said. He said the public should plan ahead before traveling during or after storms and visit to look for real-time road closures that might impact their travel routes.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Outages could remain for 'days', barn destroyed in Portage area
EBENSBURG, Pa. – Cambria County's 911 Center didn't need its call logs to gauge the extent of the widespread issues caused by a Tuesday storm. Until almost noon Wednesday, the center was running on a generator – among thousands of customers in the region without power, Emergency Management Director Tom Davis said. 'We have to be prepared for the worst ... just like everyone else,' Davis said Tuesday, shortly before power was restored in parts of the Ebensburg area. The county's propane-fueled generator system enabled the county's staff to continue answering calls and dispatching incidents to local responders – and Tuesday's storm kept them busy, with widespread reports of outages, toppled trees and property damage. A steel cellphone tower was bent in half while still planted to its foundation near Sunset Road near Carrolltown. William Penn Avenue remained closed Wednesday near Conemaugh Valley High School after a large tree landed on a series of roadside power lines. A Munster Road barn north of Portage was destroyed by winds while cattle were trapped inside, Davis said. 'We must've had 10 calls – all at once,' said East Taylor fire Chief Alan Buchan said. 'There were trees on wires everywhere.' Hospital: Be 'proactive' about maintaining oxygen supplies; seek help if needed Power outages might disrupt electricity at home, but they should never stop the flow of oxygen supplies for those reliant on medical devices to thrive, Conemaugh Health System officials said. Thousands of Cambria and northern Somerset County residents weren't as lucky as the 911 center Wednesday – many of them still without power at 5 p.m. And the region's issues weren't unique. As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, Penelec reported 127,713 customers were still without power across a region that spread from Beaver County and Pittsburgh to Johnstown, Altoona and State College. More than 270,000 were without power after the storm swept through around 6 p.m. a day earlier. The utility company's online outage map was cluttered with perhaps 1,000 individual incidents across western Pennsylvania. The Cambria- Somerset region had at least 85 separate outage reports that crews were working to address. According to 9.383 customers in Cambria County were without power as of 11 p.m. Wednesday. Penelec spokesman Todd Meyers told The Tribune-Democrat late Tuesday that it will likely take days – not hours – for every outages to all be addressed. Because much of western Pennsylvania was struck, rather than one concentrated area, Penelec crews and their line repair subcontractors were forced to spread out to repair a long list of issues, he said. 2 dead as slow-moving storms flood roads across Oklahoma and Texas; outages, 3 deaths across Pa. A least two people drowned when their vehicles were caught in floodwaters in Oklahoma on Wednesday as slow-moving thunderstorms inundated roads across parts of that state and Texas. In the Pittsburgh region, at least three people were reported dead after 70 mph straight-line gusts damaged city buildings and sent live wires scattering onto roadways. The Allegheny County city's main power provider, Duquesne Light estimated 40% of the community's customers lost power – and that it may be a week before electricity was restored to some neighborhoods. 'Making the best of it' North of Johnstown, East Taylor Fire Department opened its doors for local residents Wednesday after it became clear the outage may continue through the day. Sandra Heltzel, the department's treasurer and EMS commander, said at least 10 residents stopped in at one point or another through 1:30 p.m. Some just needed a way to keep their cellphones charged, she said. One local resident needed a power supply for her portable oxygen tank. The department was also enabling residents to cook on their stove, if needed. 'We have a generator here, and we're here if people need us,' Heltzel added, noting the station will stay open Thursday, if needed. Further up Donruth Lane, John Shirk's family was taking turns using their car to charge their cellphones. But after nearly a full day without power, they weren't going to let the outage drain their outlook on the situation. 'It is what it is,' said his wife, Jennifer, as their children snacked on McDonald's cheeseburgers and played outside near the front porch. 'Fortunately, it's a nice and warm today. It's a perfect day for this.' John Shirk shrugged his shoulders in agreement. He said he planned to fire up the grill for dinner. 'You gotta make the best of it,' he said. 'More common' storm Indiana-based REA Energy Cooperative, which provides electricity to residents in across parts of central and northern Cambria County, indicated nearly 18,000 customers lost power Tuesday. By 1:50 p.m., that number was reduced to 14,900, the company wrote. Somerset County Emergency Management Director Joel Landis said this week's storm is the just the latest of several that have inflicted severe wind damage over the past two months. A previous storm destroyed barns in Somerset County. 'We (avoided) the worst of it (Tuesday) ... but this trend is getting more and more common,' Landis said. He said the public should plan ahead before traveling during or after storms and visit to look for real-time road closures that might impact their travel routes.
