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Current Reliability Projects

At Pepco, we care about the communities we serve, and we take seriously our commitment to deliver clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy for our customers and communities. Every day, work is performed as part of our strategic effort to modernize and strengthen the local energy grid to better serve our customers. This effort includes dozens of targeted projects to modernize the energy grid and install new, state-of-the-art equipment in communities across the District of Columbia and Maryland. These upgrades continue to improve reliability for our customers by reducing the frequency and duration of outages.

Much of the work we do is focused on hardening our local infrastructure against more damaging winds and extreme storms. Across our service area, we are continuing to see the impacts of more frequent and more severe weather driven by climate change. We are continually analyzing the local energy grid to identify critical infrastructure projects to help the communities we serve become more resilient to the impacts of storms and hurricanes.

District of Columbia Projects  Maryland Projects

District of Columbia

Capital Grid

Part of our commitment to delivering safe and reliable energy for our customers and communities includes actively managing and maintaining the existing electric system and planning for the future needs of our customers. The Capital Grid Project is an integrated solution that will strengthen the Capital area's electric system, promoting enhanced reliability and resiliency. Click here for more information

DC PLUG (District of Columbia Powerline Undergrounding Initiative)

The DC PLUG initiative is a multi-year program focused on the underground placement of the most vulnerable distribution power lines. In the face of increasingly severe storms, the DC PLUG initiative is expected to improve resiliency and reliability. Click here for more information.

Downtown Distribution Resupply

We are installing a new distribution conduit system in the northwest quadrant of the downtown area of the District of Columbia. This work involves installing new distribution lines to connect our F Street and L Street substations, which will support and facilitate the rebuilding of both substations and increase the energy capacity downtown. This project has five separate phases of construction (please note, schedules may change due to weather or other impacts):

  • Phase 1: K Street, from 16th to 19th Streets – complete
  • Phase 2: L Street, from 16th to 19th Streets – complete
  • Phase 3: 19th Street, from L to F Streets –August 2022 and be completed by April 2023
  • Phase 4: 18th Street, from K to E Streets –February 2023 and be completed by July 2023
  • Phase 5 (two components): (1) 16th Street, from K to H Streets, located on Black Lives Matter Plaza – completed in April 2021; and (2) H Street, from 16th to 17th – scheduled to begin August 2023

For questions about this work, contact Linda Greenan, external affairs manager, at linda.greenan@pepco.com.

PILC Project

We have identified the need to replace and upgrade secondary underground power distribution feeders in certain neighborhoods in the District of Columbia. This comprehensive project will allow Pepco to increase the reliability and safety of Pepco's underground power distribution system. Specifically, the project requires crews to enlarge older manholes as well as replace aging power cables with new, more modern power cables providing greater reliability for neighborhoods in the future. Overall, the project makes our infrastructure access points in neighborhoods around District of Columbia safer for our employees and community. We have already completed work in Adams Morgan and Mt. Pleasant and are currently working in the Eckington area. We will also begin work related to this project in Trinidad in 2023. The project includes other neighborhoods in the near future as well. For questions regarding the current work in Eckington, contact Jamaal Jordan, senior external affairs specialist, at Jamaal.Jordan@pepco.com or Travoris Culpepper, external affairs manager, at tculpepper@pepco.com. For questions regarding work in Logan Circle, external affairs manager, at linda.greenan@pepco.com.

G Street Conversion Project

The G Street Conversion Project is a coordinated effort to improve the reliability of service in this community by upgrading equipment that will help increase the amount of electricity we can deliver to our customers. We will be increasing the capacity of our underground distribution lines by replacing existing underground equipment with more modern equipment that can support higher voltage and greater electrical capacity. For questions regarding this work, please contact Jamaal Jordan, senior external affairs specialist, at Jamaal.Jordan@pepco.com.

Georgetown Conversion Project

In 2016, we began an effort to improve the reliability of service in the Georgetown community by upgrading equipment to increase the amount of electricity we can deliver to our customers. As part of this work, we are increasing the capacity of our underground distribution lines replacing existing underground power lines and equipment with those that can support higher voltage and greater electrical capacity. Work has been completed along Water St. NW and K St. NW from 34th St. NW to 31st St. NW but was paused due to unexpected soil conditions and cost challenges. Work will begin again in the Georgetown waterfront area in October 2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. For questions about this work, contact Linda Greenan, external affairs manager, at linda.greenan@pepco.com.

Harvard Distribution Project

Distribution construction is needed in the Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan neighborhoods to provide expanded capacity to meet the growing energy needs in the surrounding area. This project also will be used, as part of the Capital Grid project, to supply service to the Harvard Substation and Champlain Substation in advance of the rebuilding of those substations. The distribution project is planned to occur over several months:

  • November 2021 – October 2022: construction along V Street NW
  • December 2021 – October 2022: construction along Columbia Road NW
  • February 2022 – March 2023: construction along Harvard Street NW and Sherman Avenue NW

For questions regarding this work, please contact Travoris Culpepper, external affairs manager, at tculpepper@pepco.com.

Priority Feeder Program

As part of the Priority Feeder Program (formerly known as the Comprehensive Feeder Program), we are upgrading underperforming feeders across the city by replacing both primary and secondary overhead lines in designated areas and placing new overhead power lines on new poles. This work also includes transferring third-party attachments, such as cable, fiber and District Department of Transportation lines, onto the new poles. Once completed, all old poles will be removed. For questions about this work, contact Linda Greenan, external affairs manager, at linda.greenan@pepco.com.

Maryland

Campus Drive Substation

We identified an emergent need to replace transformer equipment that supports our Campus Drive substation that provides power to customers in Adelphi, MD., including the University of Maryland, College Park, University United Methodist Church, Domain College Park Apartments, and several single-family homes. Pepco crews and contractors have already begun work in and around Campus Dr. This work is expected to be completed in phases over the next six to nine months, and our crews will be working six days a week for 10 to 12 hours per day until the project is finished. Typical work hours during the week will range from 7 a.m. through 6 p.m., but hours are subject to change based on the needs of the project. We anticipate that there may also be some work on Saturdays (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.). We will work to minimize noise levels, but please expect some noise during our transformer replacement process. For questions regarding this work, please contact Tony Ruffin, external affairs manager, at aruffin@pepco.com.

Cheverly Comprehensive Feeder Work

We are working to enhance service reliability for customers in the Town of Cheverly. This work includes replacing aging wooden poles with new wooden poles and installing new wire that is more resistant to damage caused by trees and animals. Replacing aging poles and related equipment will help reduce the potential for weather-related power outages. This work will span approximately three-quarters of a mile along Parkway Street between the following locations: Arbor Street and Cheverly Circle, Cheverly Circle and Parkway Place to Forest Road, and Forest Road from Cheverly Avenue to Hillside Avenue. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022 (weather permitting), with most of the work taking place in public spaces as well as Pepco’s existing right-of-way. Some portions of work will require brief, planned outages. We will provide a tentative schedule before planned work takes place. Outage notices to affected customers will also be provided via door hangers at least 72 hours before an actual outage occurs. For questions regarding this work, please contact Tony Ruffin, external affairs manager, at aruffin@pepco.com.

Livingston Road Battery Energy Storage Project

On Sept. 11, 2023, we filed a request with the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to amend this project due to several challenges. We are evaluating other battery storage project opportunities at this time. Learn more

We are constantly evaluating new technologies and services to build a smarter energy grid to further improve service for our customers. The Livingston Road Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project includes installing a battery storage system adjacent to our Livingston Road Substation in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The project will improve the reliability and quality of energy service for thousands of customers in the greater Oxon Hill area when customer demand for energy is highest.

We have a dedicated project phone number (888-996-0003) and email address (pepcobatterystorage@pepco.com) for this project to ensure we can respond quickly to your questions.

Underground Projects in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties

We have identified the need to replace and upgrade existing underground powerlines in parts of Montgomery and Prince George's counties. In August 2022, our project contractor, R. B. Hinkle, began work to replace underground power lines in the areas noted below. This work is expected to last approximately four months and working hours will range from Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please know that we will make every effort to minimize disruptions and impacts to the community and will restore all areas affected by construction. 

  • Adelphi, MD: Work will take place on Riggs Rd., from Muskogee St. to Falling Brook Ter. Some cable replacement will also occur along the smaller, connected streets, which will allow us to upgrade the feeders. For questions regarding this work, contact Tony Ruffin, external affairs manager, at aruffin@pepco.com.
  • Oxon Hill, MD: This project begins on Hart Rd. and travels a half mile to Alcoa Dr. and then another half mile to Barrett Rd. The upgrade will also include replacing the cables along Murray Hill Dr. to help improve system reliability. For questions regarding this work, contact Tony Ruffin, external affairs manager, at aruffin@pepco.com.
  • Gaithersburg, MD: The project begins on Pheasant Run Dr. and travels a mile from Perrywinkle Ln. to Pointer Ridge Dr. Some cable replacement will also occur along the smaller connected streets, which will allow us to upgrade the feeders. please contact Alberto Zegada, senior external affairs specialist, at azegada@pepco.com.
  • Montgomery Village, MD: The project will upgrade the cables on Coltfield Ct. and Stedwick Dr. and replace existing transformers. please contact Alberto Zegada, senior external affairs specialist, at azegada@pepco.com.

White Flint Substation

Pepco is constructing a new substation in the rapidly growing North Bethesda/White Flint area to deliver safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy to nearby families and business. Substation work began in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2024. If you have questions, please contact Danielle Freedman, external affairs manager, at dfreedman@pepco.com.

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​Infrastructure 101

​Get more information about ongoing infrastructure efforts. Infrastructure 101

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