Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has initiated upgrades to the electric grid in Burlington and northwestern Ocean counties. This project aims to improve service for around 2,500 JCP&L customers and is valued at $3.2 million. The completion is anticipated by July.
The upgrades will cover over four miles of overhead and underground power lines in North Hanover, New Hanover, and Plumsted townships. Doug Mokoid, President of FirstEnergy's New Jersey operations, stated: "These grid enhancements build on the New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, introducing infrastructure upgrades that will significantly enhance the safe and reliable service our JCP&L customers expect. This work also prepares our grid to meet the demands of the future."
The first phase involves upgrading two sections of power line from a JCP&L substation in Cookstown, Burlington County. This includes replacing infrastructure with stronger wires and poles, upgrading fuses, installing devices like reclosers to reroute power during outages, adding TripSaver devices to handle temporary abnormalities without crew intervention, and additional tree trimming.
The second phase focuses on constructing a new power line to address current and future demand. This line will connect with existing lines to improve reliability by enabling power switching and damage isolation during outages.
This project is part of JCP&L's Supplemental High Priority Circuit Program under the New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project. It targets high-priority lines based on historical outage data.
These initiatives are included in Energize365, FirstEnergy's grid evolution program aimed at investing $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across its six-state area to develop a smarter grid.
JCP&L provides services to 1.1 million customers across several counties in New Jersey. Follow their updates on social media or their website.
FirstEnergy operates one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the nation, serving over six million customers across multiple states. Their transmission subsidiaries manage approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
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