Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., is wrapping up the last of a pair of electric system upgrade projects this month in portions of northern and eastern Monmouth County. The two projects will enhance electric service for more than 4,000 customers in the county while also helping protect wildlife by deterring birds of prey from nesting on utility poles.
Watch a video of JCP&L personnel explaining and completing these electric grid upgrades on FirstEnergy's YouTube channel.
Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's president, New Jersey, says, "The open feedback system we maintain allows our employees to feel comfortable calling attention to areas of the electric system that they see need upgrades. These two projects are perfect examples of employee-led projects that are expected to help reinforce safe, reliable service for our customers."
In Neptune Township, the infrastructure supporting two neighborhood power lines was upgraded, including installation of new fiberglass crossarms, which are stronger, safer and lighter than traditional wood or metal crossarms. They require less maintenance, offer more storm resiliency and a longer lifespan. Unlike a wooden crossarm, the single crossarm design does not entice an osprey to nest on it because it is not large or stable enough to hold the nest, which can measure up to three feet in width.
This project also replaced three lightning arrestors along a neighborhood power line to protect the line from lightning strikes. The work was completed in late 2024 and will enhance electric service for more than 1,100 JCP&L customers in the town.
By the coast, a different project is underway to upgrade insulators along a nearly two-mile stretch of a high-voltage power line, using a type of insulator that also helps deter ospreys from nesting on the poles. Existing metal crossarms and some wood crossarms are also being replaced with fiberglass crossarms. The work is scheduled to be completed by late January and will benefit nearly 3,200 JCP&L customers in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach.
These projects are part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's grid evolution program focused on investing $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across its six-state footprint to create a smarter, more secure grid that delivers the power customers depend on today while also meeting the challenges of tomorrow.
