PECO will invest about $650,000 in the first quarter of 2013 to replace
and perform preventative maintenance on about 50,000 feet of underground
cable that delivers electricity to thousands of customers in Bucks,
Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York Counties. This work
is expected to reduce the potential for cable malfunctions and service
interruptions to more than 5,000 customers.
All projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of March. As part
of this work, PECO is using special equipment to limit the amount of
digging necessary to replace the cable, which will minimize the impact
on customers’ lawns and driveways.
In addition to replacing cable, about 28,000 feet of underground cable
will be injected with silicone gel designed to fill and seal any cracks
that may have developed in the cable’s insulation. This process helps
reduce the number of outages caused by water intrusion into the cable.
“By continuously monitoring our electric system’s performance, including
the performance of our underground cable, we are able to identify key
opportunities to improve service for our customers,” said Eric Helt,
vice president of Electric Operations. “Preventative maintenance,
upgrading and replacement of our equipment are crucial to providing
customers with safe and reliable service every day.”
Underground cable replacement and preventative maintenance are part of
PECO’s overall program to ensure safe and reliable electric service for
PECO’s 1.6 million electric customers. Each year, the company conducts
regular maintenance and inspection of equipment, including substations,
manholes, and aerial lines and poles, to identify opportunities to
improve performance.
Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility
subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6
million electric and 497,000 natural gas customers in southeastern
Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region. PECO
delivered 76.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 37.5 billion
kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2012. Founded in 1881, PECO is
one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens,
providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts
and culture, education, environmental, economic development and
community programs and organizations.
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