Potomac Edison’s New Substation to Reduce Power Outages for 1,900 Customers in West Virginia and Maryland

Potomac Edison, a FirstEnergy electric company, has introduced a new substation in Morgan County, West Virginia, bringing improved power reliability for nearly 2,000 residents and businesses served by the company.

Fewer and shorter outages for area customers are expected with modern features and new technology. While construction on the project started in summer 2025, the substation began serving customers in September.

"This new substation will significantly elevate the standard of service for our customers,” said Jim Myers, FirstEnergy's President, West Virginia and Maryland. “We're building the foundation for the future with smarter, stronger infrastructure that keeps electricity flowing to homes and businesses in Morgan County and across our region."

The new substation in Great Cacapon has replaced an older facility, which was dependent on a six-mile-long power line. The substation, located on a 20-acre site owned by Potomac Edison, is served by a safer, easily reachable power line less susceptible to service interruptions, particularly during severe weather.

Completion of the work will serve nearly 1,600 customers in the Great Cacapon area and more than 320 in Little Orleans, Maryland. The older substation and connecting power line will be removed safely.

The new substation is equipped with smart grid technology, including automated devices that:

• Detect and isolate problems automatically.
• Restore service remotely without dispatching a crew.
• Pinpoint outage locations to speed up repairs.

The upgrades will help deliver fewer, shorter and less widespread outages for customers. The substation project is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's $28 billion investment program across its five-state footprint to modernize the electric grid between 2025 and 2029.