The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 26, 2012

Utility preps for storm

Company on alert, mustering resources if superstorm hits

By Michael Roknick Herald Business Editor

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, EASTERN OHIO — FirstEnergy Corp. and its affiliated companies are battening down the hatches and mustering resources in case the ferocious storm socks the East Coast as expected next week.

“We have put FirstEnergy on alert, particularly in areas that might be impacted,’’ said Scott Surgeoner, a company spokesman.

An alert gives notice to utility employees they may be called into action for a major weather problem.

Based in Akron, FirstEnergy owns a number of utilities along or near the East Coast which all combined serve about 3.6 million customers. That includes Penn Power Co. which serves 161,000 customers in all of Mercer and Lawrence counties and parts of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Crawford counties.

But the bullseye of the storm is likely to be the easternmost edge of FirstEnergy’s territory in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland where the utility serves just under 2 million customers.

Surgeoner cautioned these forecasts are still in the very early stages. In addition to monitoring hurricane forecasts available to the public, FirstEnergy has two full-time meteorologists on its payroll who have been tracking the storm for several days and give regular updates.

FirstEnergy has taken  an inventory of its equipment and stocks of such supplies as utility poles and transformers and prepared its workers to move those resources into areas that might be hit, Surgeoner said. Repair crews also may be shifted into staging areas if needed in upcoming days.

Further, FirstEnergy has contacted other utilities in the region and throughout the U.S. It has a mutual assistance agreement with other companies whose resources may also be needed.

“We haven’t brought any additional people in yet,’’ Surgeoner said. “People are still working a normal workday and that will continue. What we’re doing now is a double-check preparation.’’

Like the rest of the nation though, there isn’t much more the utility can do but wait and watch the storm’s progress.

“There’s not much more you can do other than be prepared as best you can,’’ he said.

 

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