Crews work during the fall of last year to complete a major transmission line project to improve reliability for customers in Atlantic City and the surrounding area.
MAYS LANDING –Atlantic City Electric has completed a major transmission line upgrade to enhance system resiliency and improve reliability for customers in Atlantic City and the adjoining barrier islands. The project included the installation of six miles of new transmission line to support the growing energy needs of customers across Atlantic County.
The project provides a timely upgrade to the local energy grid, fortifying the system for the many residents spending more time at home just ahead of summer storms and hurricane season, which officially begins June 1.
As part of this project, crews used helicopters to place steel poles across marshland and environmentally sensitive areas and to transport personnel who performed the work.
As part of this project, Atlantic City Electric and its contractors used a Sky Crane helicopter to place steel poles across marshland and environmentally sensitive areas and to transport personnel to perform the work. This innovative and environmentally conscious approach minimized the potential environmental impacts of completing the work and provided a more efficient and safer option for crews to access the transmission lines since access to the energy infrastructure was limited.
“We know our customers are more dependent on reliable energy service than ever before,” said Tyler Anthony, senior vice president and COO of Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric. “As we approach hurricane season, completing major infrastructure projects like this that fortify the local energy grid are critical to the communities we serve. I’m incredibly proud of our employees and contractors who have worked with focus and determination throughout the last year to complete this project safely and efficiently.”
Crews installed stronger, state-of-the-art steel utility poles, capable of withstanding winds up to 120 mph, to reduce the impacts of more powerful storms. Crews also installed innovative technologies to improve system reliability, such as specialized equipment that can automatically restore service more quickly or isolate damage. This will allow the company to restore service faster and more efficiently if outages do occur.
The transmission line upgrades are part of a broader reliability improvement effort Atlantic City Electric has implemented across South Jersey to help reduce outages and enhance the resiliency of the local energy grid. This effort includes modernizing the infrastructure, such as transmission and distribution lines, and adding greater automation on the local energy grid with new substations and equipment.
This work on Atlantic City Electric’s energy infrastructure has contributed to customers’ experiencing continued improvements in the reliability of their energy service. In fact, over the past five years, ongoing investments in the local energy grid and new innovative technologies have driven a 22 percent decrease in the frequency of electric outages. For more information on reliability enhancement projects across South Jersey, visit atlanticcityelectric.com/reliability.
