Jersey Central Power and Light to upgrade lines in Monmouth County
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has started work on upgrading two miles of a high-voltage power line in Monmouth County.
The 34.5-kilovolt power line runs south from JCP&L’s Elberon Substation to its Allenhurst Substation. As part of the project, JCP&L will install new wires, poles, and equipment, replacing the existing wires, hardware and structures that have been in place since the 1970s.
The new wires will be able to carry more electrical load and accommodate greater customer demand. Further, they can carry increased power flow in the event of unplanned service interruptions on other lines in the area. The project will help prevent or minimize the impact of service disruptions for more than 17,000 customers in the region.
“These upgrades will reinforce the electric grid and help us meet the growing demand for safe, reliable power by our customers in Central Jersey,” said Jim Fakult, president of New Jersey Operations for FirstEnergy, the parent company of JCP&L. “This work also offers a backup power feed that will help keep the lights on for customers if wires or equipment on their regular line are damaged or need to be taken out of service.”
The upgrade is expected to be completed in late 2023.
This is the fourth in a series of projects designed to enhance reliability for Central Jersey customers. Last year, JCP&L started construction on two projects to upgrade 19 miles of transmission power lines in the Monmouth County area. Overall, JCP&L is investing $223 million to upgrade more than 60 miles of transmission lines in the county.
JCP&L serves 1.1 million customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren.
