PITTSBURGH \u2014 Duquesne Light Co. and officials from the U.S. Department of Energy met at the utility\u2019s Woods Run campus in Pittsburgh to showcase ongoing grid modernization projects in Allegheny and Beaver counties.<\/p>\n
The projects are funded through a $19.7 million grant awarded by the DOE in 2023, matched by an equal amount from Duquesne Light Co. over a five-year period. <\/p>\n
The funding is part of the federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program, which seeks to improve grid flexibility and protect the power system against extreme weather.<\/p>\n
As part of the modernization project, Duquesne Light Co. installed dynamic line rating sensors on seven of its transmission lines. Developed by LineVision, the sensors provide real-time capacity insights and monitoring across the transmission grid. The utility expanded its partnership with LineVision in 2025 after earlier deployments beginning in 2021 indicated a potential 25% increase in transmission line capacity.<\/p>\n
Assistant Secretary Katie Jereza for the DOE\u2019s Office of Electricity, highlighted the joint effort during the event. <\/p>\n
\u201cUnleashing American energy dominance requires a grid that can deliver affordable, reliable and secure power,\u201d Jereza said. \u201cTogether with Duquesne Light Co., we\u2019re putting public-private partnerships into action to unlock more capacity from existing infrastructure we have. For western Pennsylvania, that means a stronger foundation to power homes, businesses and economic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Duquesne Light Co. is also partnering with technology company Itron to deploy tens of thousands of smart meters across its service territory. The devices, installed on customer metering points, use real-time data to identify anomalies, support faster interconnection times and build a foundation for future advanced grid applications.<\/p>\n
Advanced Grid Solutions Director Josh Gould and Strategic Planning at Duquesne Light Co., commented on the investment. <\/p>\n
\u201cDLC greatly values our partnership with the DOE and consistently works to ensure that federal dollars are being spent efficiently and ultimately in the best interests of our customers,\u201d Gould said. \u201cAs our industry rapidly changes, we remain committed to leveraging this opportunity to uncover additional technologies that will allow us to bring even more value and better service to our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deployment of the new smart meters across the service territory is scheduled to begin in October.<\/p>\n
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