RICHMOND TOWNSHIP, Pa. – A power grid upgrade is in the works, spanning an approximately 15-mile stretch in parts of Berks and Lehigh counties, including Richmond Township.
A section of Fleetwood Lyons Road was recently completed.
“We look at the areas that are experiencing a lot of growth,” said FirstEnergy spokeswoman, Lauren Siburkis. “Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen a lot of growth in this area. People moving to the area, businesses wanting to expand or start here, and they need the modern infrastructure to support that growth.”
FirstEnergy says it’s necessary to upgrade aging equipment.
“We identified this as an area where we need to install more stable poles, thicker wire that’s able to withstand the severe weather elements, as well as more capacity to deliver electricity to these growing communities,” Siburkis explained.
The utility says the upgrades will allow the system to handle more electricity during high demand times, prevent outages, and allow for faster restoration when problems do occur.
Rodney Esterly has a small sandwich shop in the area. He wasn’t previously aware of the upgrades and says he’s concerned about the cost to the customer.
“If you have money and you want to pay for a better electrical grid, sure,” said Esterly. “If they moderate the charges that you make that they charge you, then it’s probably the best thing to do.”
“The impact for customer bills each month is very, very minor,” added Siburkis, “We’re talking maybe less than a dollar in some cases.”
The entire project is expected to be completed by November 2027.