FirstEnergy Spending More On Md., W.Va. Lines

WILLIAMSPORT, Md. (AP) -- FirstEnergy Corp. says it plans to more than double its spending on projects to improve the reliability of electrical power to Potomac Edison customers in parts of Maryland and West Virginia.

The company said Thursday it plans to spend more than $143 million this year on such projects. That's about $80 million more than it spent last year.

The planned expenditures include $18 million for tree trimming. The expenditures also include $13 million to rebuild a 500-kilovolt transmission line in Frederick County, Md., as part of a joint project with Dominion Power.

Potomac Edison serves about 248,000 customers in western and central Maryland, and about 537,000 customers in northeastern West Virginia.

FirstEnergy is based in Akron, Ohio.

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