Jersey Central Power & Light investing $34M in tree trimming to limit outages

Published on June 09, 2023 by Dave Kovaleski


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Jersey Central Power & Light is in the process of a project to trim trees along more than 3,400 miles of power lines throughout its service area in central and northern New Jersey.

The $34 million investment began on Jan. 1, and so far, JCP&L contractors have completed trimming along more than 760 miles of lines. The other 2,700 miles of additional trimming is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The effort is designed to prevent or minimize the impact of tree-related damages during severe weather, as trees and branches falling on lines and electrical equipment are a leading cause of power outages.

“Tree trimming is a year-round effort by our crews and contractors and just one of the proactive steps we take to minimize the impact of power outages and ensure the safe, reliable delivery of electricity,” James Fakult, president of FirstEnergy’s New Jersey operations, said. “Doing this work in a responsible way is also a priority, as our stewardship of the environment and our communities is a core value for JCP&L.”

The trees and vegetation near power lines are pruned in a manner that helps preserve the health of trees while maintaining proper clearances around electrical equipment. Specifically, crews are looking to remove deteriorated ash trees that have been affected by the Emerald Ash Borer. Last year, nearly 40 percent of tree-related power outages in JCP&L’s service territory were caused by ash trees.

The work is conducted by certified forestry contractors under the company’s direction and done in compliance with regulatory requirements. Over the next two months, trimming will be done throughout all 13 counties that JCP&L covers.

JCP&L proposed an approximately $11 million annual increase in vegetation management and tree trimming activities, according to a rate review filed with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in March. The additional funding would be allocated for increased trimming of trees threatening power lines outside of company rights-of-way. Last year, about 84 percent of tree-related outages were caused by trees outside of JCP&L’s trimming corridors.

JCP&L, owned by FirstEnergy Corp., serves 1.1 million customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.