​More than 51 projects are underway to enhance electric service reliability and system resiliency throughout the county

PHILADELPHIA (September 27, 2022) — PECO is executing a multi-million-dollar investment in Philadelphia County to help prevent customer outages, modernize the electric grid, and reduce the impact of extreme weather on electric infrastructure through the remainder 2022.

During the next five years, PECO will invest approximately $6 billion across its electric and natural gas systems to inspect equipment, complete targeted infrastructure enhancements and corrective maintenance, invest in new equipment, and perform vegetation management work.

These efforts include 51 electric reliability projects across Philadelphia County in 2022, some of which include:

• Oregon Ave: investing more than $14 million to enhance the local electric distribution system by upgrading poles, aerial wires and installation of new underground transmission line that spans 3.1 miles.
• Mall/Lombard: investing more than $48 million to enhance the local electric distribution system by upgrading poles and aerial wires to carry heavier loads to meet customers' electrical needs, 
• Schuylkill River Cable Relocation: investing more than $13.8 million to enhance the local electric distribution system in the area that services University City, replacing underground electric cables and pad-mount transformers.
• Callowhill Substation: undergoing reconfigurations and upgrades to improve reliability for nearby customers such as the Philadelphia Convention Center and the Chinatown community
  

To further enhance reliability and maintain power to customers, PECO actively installs specialized equipment, known as reclosers, that can automatically restore service or isolate damage. In 2021 alone, 269 new reclosers were installed, bringing the total to 3,250 system wide. During the past five years, these reclosers have avoided approximately 4.6 million power interruptions for customers.    

"Our customers are the focus of everything we do, which is why we're prioritizing this strategic investment plan to ensure safe and reliable service to better withstand extreme weather and pave the way for clean energy resources," said Brian Crowe, PECO's Vice President of Technical Services. "Modernizing our energy infrastructure is critical to meeting the needs for thousands of residential and business customers across Philadelphia County."

Enhancing energy infrastructure to make it more resilient in the face of intensifying weather patterns, while supporting more clean energy resources is a key element of PECO's Path to Clean, which includes a goal for PECO and the collective Exelon utilities to reduce operations-driven emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

In addition to targeted reliability-focused infrastructure investments, PECO is committed to helping customers by providing a multitude of programs to manage their energy costs and save money. In Philadelphia County specifically, PECO facilitated upwards of 113,000 enrollments across its suite of programs, totaling over $65 million in financial assistance in 2021. 

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