FirstEnergy plans several projects for western Pennsylvania
Saturday, February 14, 2015
FirstEnergy Corp. announced that it will invest $35 million in western Pennsylvania as electric transmission projects take place to support the area’s Marcellus Shale production, The Observer-Reporter reports.
In Washington County, a substation will be built to support a midstream gas processing facility in Burgettstown. FirstEnergy will also implement new equipment to maintain voltage lines in a transmission station near Houston. In addition, the company will upgrade a transmission line that spans nine miles from a Weirton, West Virginia, substation to a substation near Burgettstown.
These changes are said to improve service for West Penn Power customers.
Via: The Observer-Reporter > FirstEnergy announces $35M in shale-related work
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.