GREENSBURG — FirstEnergy plans to invest about $160 million this year on infrastructure upgrades in West Penn Power’s 24-county service area.

This represents about a $41 million increase compared to what the company invested in the region last year, according to a company news release.

Major projects scheduled for this year include transmission improvements, inspection and replacement of utility poles and other equipment and continuing tree trimming work, including a special program to remove trees endangered by the Emerald Ash Borer beetle.

Of FirstEnergy’s investments for this year, more than $23 million will be for transmission-related projects built and owned by the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co., a FirstEnergy transmission affiliate.

Scheduled projects include:

• Installing a new transformer at a substation in Armstrong County for about $22 million.

• Spending more than $25 million to trim trees along more than 4,500 miles of distribution and transmission lines as part of the ongoing program to help maintain clearances and protect against tree-related storm damage.

• Investing about $1 million in Western Pennsylvania to remove trees damaged by the Emerald Ash Borer beetle.

• Investing more than $23 million on projects to expand the distribution system throughout West Penn Power’s service area.

• Inspecting about 54,000 utility poles and replacing or reinforcing about 1,100 poles for nearly $4 million. This is done on a 12-year cycle in Pennsylvania, and replacement work is scheduled to be completed by the end of fall.

• Upgrading equipment on 135 distribution circuits to help enhance reliability at a cost of more than $600,000.

David McDonald, president of West Penn Power, said in the release, “When combined with the 2013 infrastructure projects, FirstEnergy is on track to spend more than $279 million over a two-year time frame in the West Penn Power area to focus on our primary objective of providing the quality of service our customers expect and deserve.”

West Penn Power serves about 720,000 customers in Pennsylvania.

FirstEnergy’s 10 electric distribution companies serve customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.