From April to July, PECO completed more than 170 projects to enhance
reliability for customers throughout the region. This work follows more
than 200 projects completed during the first quarter of 2014. Each year,
PECO invests approximately $500 million to improve the electric system
infrastructure, including performing preventive maintenance and
upgrading equipment.
Specifically, 88 projects were completed on 25 circuits to further
improve service to customers. These corrective and preventive
maintenance projects were identified through PECO’s ongoing system
monitoring program.
Since April, 14 additional reclosers also have been installed on aerial
lines across the service territory. During the last decade, PECO has
reduced the number and length of power outages through the use of
advanced equipment like reclosers. There are currently more than 1,580
reclosers installed on PECO’s electric distribution system across the
region. These devices help reduce the number of outages and improve
electric service for customers. Reclosers have prevented more than
531,144 sustained power interruptions for PECO customers this year alone.
PECO also continued to upgrade and install new equipment throughout the
region. Since April, PECO upgraded several sections of underground cable
and installed seven new transformers.
To help prevent power outages caused by vegetation, PECO continues to
install reinforced tree-resistant aerial wire. This specific electric
wire is stronger than most aerial wire and can better withstand falling
trees and tree limbs. During the second quarter, PECO completed the
installation of 2,300 feet of this wire in Montgomery County. Earlier
this year, PECO installed approximately 3,700 feet of tree-resistant
wire throughout Montgomery County. Currently, more than 15 miles of this
wire has been installed across the service territory. An additional
3,800 feet of wire will be installed in targeted suburban areas through
the remainder of 2014.
PECO also continues its rigorous tree trimming program to limit the
amount of power outages caused by trees and other vegetation. The
company invests about $35 million each year on tree pruning and other
vegetation removal around approximately 2,400 miles (of a total 13,500
miles) of aerial power lines along the PECO electric distribution and
transmission systems.
Additionally, PECO completed wildlife mitigation around several of its
facilities to prevent native animals from damaging PECO equipment and
causing power outages.
“We are committed to continuously monitoring system performance and
identifying areas where we can improve our equipment, which is crucial
to providing customers with safe and reliable service every day,” said
John McDonald, vice president of Technical Services, PECO.
PECO’s ongoing system enhancement projects contributed to the company’s
record-breaking electric and natural gas reliability performance in
2013, with customers experiencing the fewest number of outages in the
company’s history, surpassing previous records set in 2012.
Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility
subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6
million electric and more than 500,000 natural gas customers in
southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region.
PECO delivered 85.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 37.8
billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2013. 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. For more
information visit PECO.com,
and connect with the company on Facebook
and Twitter.
If you are a member of the media and would like to receive PECO news
releases via email, please send your email address to PECO.Communication@exeloncorp.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2014