FirstEnergy's KATCo Joins $20.8M DOE Grid Pilot in Pennsylvania
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GREENSBURG, Pa. – October 29, 2026 -- FirstEnergy subsidiary Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCo) has been selected for an estimated $20.8 million federally funded grid modernization project led by EPRI, aimed at squeezing more capacity out of existing transmission lines in western Pennsylvania.
KATCo was picked through the U.S. Department of Energy's Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) program. The Advanced Transmission Technologies for Reliable and Efficient Energy Supply (ATREES) project will evaluate technologies intended to improve reliability and increase transmission capacity as electricity demand grows in Pennsylvania and nationally.