Upgrades to Century-Old Infrastructure Further Enhance Service Reliability
DLC upgrades transmission lines in a multi-year project to meet the growing demand of customers in various townships.
Duquesne Light Company (DLC) recently completed Phase 3A of the multi-phase Brunot Island-Crescent Transmission Reliability project. The project involves replacing some of the company’s oldest infrastructure from DLC’s substation in Crescent Township to the substation located on Brunot Island along the Ohio River just west of downtown Pittsburgh — a distance of approximately 14.5 miles.
This milestone furthers DLC’s efforts to modernize a network of 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines installed more than 100 years ago. This upgraded network — which serves Moon Township, Robinson Township, Kennedy Township, McKees Rocks and the city of Pittsburgh — will improve the quality of service for customers who live and work in those communities, allowing us to deliver safe, reliable and affordable power more efficiently to homes and businesses.
Part 1 of Phase 3A was partially completed in November 2023. It involved replacing six lattice structures with self-supporting steel monopoles anchored to concrete bases.
“Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved. This project will ensure this transmission line is healthy and prepared to meet our customers’ current and future electrical demands” said Jason A. Harchick, DLC’s director of grid optimization and asset management.
Construction for this multi-phased project began in December 2021 and is anticipated to conclude by spring 2027. Visit our reliability webpage to learn more about this project.