Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has completed upgrades on more than 80 major circuits this year to help enhance service reliability to approximately 175,000 customers in about 150 communities in northern and central New Jersey.
The $4.7 million program included: installing 750 new pieces of high tech equipment to help pinpoint problem areas and restore service automatically; placing 250 animal guard devices on poles and in substations to limit the number of outages caused by squirrels, birds and other critters; attaching 390 lightning arrestors on electrical equipment to help protect the system from stormy weather; and proactively replacing 50 poles, 330 crossarms and about 18,000 feet of wire.
"Upgrading our distribution circuits is an important part of the overall work we do because it focuses on enhancing the part of our electrical equipment that is closest to our customers," said Mark Jones, vice president of Operations for JCP&L. "These projects are designed to reduce the number of service interruptions our customers might experience or reduce the duration if an outage occurs."
Over the past five years, JCP&L has completed similar upgrades for more than 500 circuits.
During 2017, multiple projects were included to enhance circuits in the following counties and municipalities:
- Burlington – Four projects serving North Hanover Township, Borough of Pemberton, Township of Pemberton, Springfield Township and Washington Township
- Hunterdon – Nine projects serving Alexandria Township, Borough of Califon, Clinton Township, Town of Clinton, Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Township of Franklin, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, City of Lambertville, Lebanon Township, Raritan Township, Readington Township, Tewksbury Township and Township of West Amwell
- Mercer – Two projects serving East Windsor Township, Township of Hopewell, Robbinsville Township and West Windsor Township
- Middlesex – Eight projects serving Cranbury Township, Township of Monroe and Old Bridge Township
- Monmouth – Twenty-seven projects serving the Township of Aberdeen, Borough of Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck Township, Borough of Deal, Eatontown Borough, Freehold Borough, Township of Freehold, Township of Hazlet, Holmdel Township, Howell Township, City of Long Branch, Manalapan Township, Matawan Township, Township of Marlboro, Middletown Township, Millstone Township, Ocean Township, Borough of Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, Borough of Spring Lake, Borough of Spring Lake Heights, Borough of Tinton Falls, Upper Freehold Township and Wall Township
- Morris – Fourteen projects serving Boonton Township, Chester Borough, Chester Township, Denville Township, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon Borough, Borough of Mendham, Mendham Township, Montville Township, Borough of Morris Plains, Morris Township, Town of Morristown, Borough of Mountain Lakes, Mount Olive Township, Borough of Netcong, Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills, Randolph Township and Roxbury Township
- Ocean – Fourteen projects serving customers in Beachwood, Berkeley Township, Jackson Township, Lacey Township, Lakewood Township, Manchester Township, Ocean Township and Borough of South Toms River and Toms River Township
- Passaic – One project serving the Township of West Milford
- Somerset County – Three projects serving Bernards Township, Borough of Bernardsville Borough of Far Hills and Peapack and Gladstone Borough
- Sussex County – Seven projects serving Andover Township, Borough of Franklin, Fredon Township, Green Township, Hampton Township, Borough of Hopatcong, Borough of Ogdensburg, Sandyston Township, Sparta Township, Borough of Stanhope, Stillwater Township, Vernon Township and Walpack Township
- Union County – One project serving the Borough of Mountainside, Springfield Township and City of Summit
- Warren – Eight projects serving Allamuchy Township, Blairstown Township, Frelinghuysen Township, Town of Hackettstown, Hardwick Township, Hope Township, Independence Township, Knowlton Township, Liberty Township, Township of Mansfield, Town of Phillipsburg and Washington Township
