FirstEnergy: Power Grid Upgrade Underway in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh and Berks Counties

A power grid upgrade is underway in southeastern Pennsylvania to improve electric service for customers in Lehigh and Berks counties, including the rebuilding of a 15-mile high-voltage transmission line and upgrades at four substations.

The Allentown–Lyons–South Hamburg 69-kilovolt line rebuild is being led by Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, a FirstEnergy transmission subsidiary. The project will replace aging infrastructure with new poles and conductors designed to better withstand severe weather and other common causes of outages.

The rebuilt line is expected to improve power flows across the local system, allowing electricity to be rerouted more easily during outages or maintenance. Construction began in August and is scheduled to be completed in November 2027.

As part of the project, four substations will be upgraded with higher-capacity conductors that carry electricity into and out of the facilities. FirstEnergy said the upgrades are intended to reduce the risk of overloads, improve system performance during periods of high demand, and shorten restoration times when outages occur.

The approximately $28 million project is part of FirstEnergy’s Energize365 investment program, which focuses on grid modernization and reliability improvements. The company plans to invest $28 billion through the program between 2025 and 2029.