PSE&G improves reliability in 2021 following infrastructure investments

Published on June 13, 2022 by Dave Kovaleski

New Jersey utility Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) reported its best reliability performance in 10 years in 2021, as customers experienced fewer outages.

The utility attributes such progress to the $4.8 billion investment the company has made in strengthening and modernizing its infrastructure, including its Energy Strong I and II programs and its Gas System Modernization Program I and II. Further, PSE&G has installed smart grid technologies, replaced close to 2,000 miles of aging gas lines, and added digital and other technologies to make the network more intelligent and agile.

The benefits were evident last year when Tropical Storm Ida hit, causing cause more than $75 billion in damage nationwide – surpassing the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. PSE&G’s infrastructure stood strong as 215,000 customers lost power compared to more than 2 million during Sandy, many of which were lengthy. Since Sandy, PSE&G has upgraded lines and installed more redundant circuits so that if a portion of a line gets damaged, it can prevent an outage by using another electrical pathway. This allows power to be restored quicker, especially for critical facilities like hospitals, water treatment plants, and essential providers of health and safety services.

“We’re expecting this hurricane season to be another busy, potentially dangerous one with more major storms, so we urge customers to make plans and prepare now,” said Kim Hanemann, PSE&G president and chief operating officer. “The work we began a decade ago is paying off – fewer customers are experiencing outages, and when they do occur, we can restore power more quickly. Continuing these investments to protect our customers from ex­treme weather is fundamental to our Powering Progress vision of a future where people use less energy, and it’s cleaner, safer, and delivered more reliably than ever.”

Colorado State University meteorologists predict there will be 20 named storms this year, including four major hurricanes.