The second phase of construction has begun on a new electrical network in Trumbull County, Ohio to help support the EV industry.

Power corporation FirstEnergy Corp operates ten electric distribution companies in six states with around 24,000 miles of power lines. The company is carrying out construction on the electrical network to help support the growing demands of the electric vehicle industry in the area.

The work will also alleviate power outages that have been experienced by customers in Trumbull County.

The $12 million project is planned to support the energy needs of Ultium Cells LLC, a manufacturing plant specialising in electric vehicle batteries that is backed by both General Motors and LG Energy Solutions.

The new electrical network will connect around 3.5 miles of substations, which FirstEnergy claims will benefit more than 15,000 Ohio Edison customers by offering a backup power feed should their regular power lines be damaged.

“FirstEnergy and Ohio Edison continue to play a key role in the region’s development by working to ensure the local power grid is ready to support the demands of Ultium Cells LLC and other energy-intensive customers in the region,” said Ed Shuttleworth, president of FirstEnergy’s Ohio operations.

“We’re proud to support work to help advance business development in the region while strengthening our system to meet the growing demand for safe and reliable power for many years to come.”

To minimise the environmental and social impact of the project, the majority of the new power lines on the electrical network will be built along existing steel towers, although the remaining part of the work will require the construction of new structures.

This development builds on the recent completion of an extensive project to build a new electrical substation and high-voltage power lines to serve the Ultium Cells manufacturing plant, which is claimed to be bringing around 1,100 jobs to the area with a nearly 3 million square-foot facility.