Construction is under way on a new FirstEnergy Corp. transmission substation in Trumbull County, Ohio, to support the energy demands of the area’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) industry.
The new transmission infrastructure, which includes the construction of a short, high-voltage line along with the substation, will provide electric service to Ultium Cells LLC – an EV battery-cell manufacturing plant jointly backed by General Motors and South Korea’s LG Chem.
As part of the $19.6 million project, utility crews completed the foundation work and erected steel structures at the new substation in Lordstown. In addition, crews are completing construction of a half-mile power line to connect the new substation to an existing 138 kV line located nearby.
“With the EV industry bringing new employment and business development opportunities to the Mahoning Valley, FirstEnergy and Ohio Edison are keeping pace by upgrading our system to meet the growing demand for safe and reliable power,” says Ed Shuttleworth, regional president of Ohio Edison and Penn Power. “This is an exciting time for EV development in our region and the entire country, and we’re proud to support work to help advance this industry while strengthening our system for customers in the area.”
Additional work, which includes constructing a third, new high-voltage line in Lordstown, is planned in April to accommodate Ultium Cells’ projected future energy needs and provide further reliability enhancements for customers.
