Ellsworth Township Residents Discuss Major Energy Upgrade Plans

ELLWORTH TOWNSHIP, Ohio — On March 12, 2025, residents gathered to hear from FirstEnergy officials about an upcoming expansion at the Ellsworth Township substation, set to begin this summer.

The project aims to significantly increase the substation’s footprint, quadrupling its size and establishing new power lines that will extend north along Route 45 and then east toward Austintown. Exact routing details are still being finalized.

During a presentation at the township’s trustee meeting, representatives from FirstEnergy informed attendees that approximately 90% of local residents have already signed easement agreements for the project. However, concerns were raised by at least one resident regarding the potential noise and other impacts from the expanded substation.

The expansion will also involve replacing existing power poles with taller ones to accommodate higher voltage lines, including roughly 10 miles of 69-kilovolt lines. Currently, the power lines function similarly to a string of holiday lights; if one bulb fails, the entire line is affected.

FirstEnergy officials assert that this upgrade is crucial for improving reliability and minimizing outages as well as meeting future energy demands. “By interconnecting the system, basically networking the system from Salt Springs all the way to Ellsworth, and then splitting the line you have today called the Berlin Lake–Boardman, we’ll be building a new station. This way, any faults or conditions occurring on one side won’t result in outages for Ellsworth,” said Jay Salem, Transmission Planning Manager at FirstEnergy.

Construction is scheduled to commence in August 2025, with completion expected by Spring 2027. Residents seeking additional information about the substation expansion can contact FirstEnergy via email or call 1-888-311-4737.