Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) is launching a major infrastructure initiative, dedicating $108 million through 2028 to bolster its electric grid in Ocean County. The massive investment comes in direct response to the area’s surging population and unprecedented energy demand, which JCP&L says is outpacing traditional forecasting models.
According to U.S. Census estimates, Ocean County added nearly 30,000 residents between 2020 and 2024. This growth is reflected in the business sector, where developers and county businesses have recently applied for more than 50 megawatts (MW) of new power connections—enough to supply approximately 50,000 homes.
“Ocean County is growing at a pace that traditional forecasting formulas can’t keep up with,” Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy’s President, New Jersey, said. “We’re taking a fresh approach to improving reliability now and meeting power demand for years to come.”
Multi-pronged plan targets reliability and capacity
The utility’s strategy is a multi-phased approach focusing on increased capacity, system resiliency, and faster outage response.
An initial $21 million in upgrades is slated for completion this year, including the addition of two new transformers and the upgrade of an existing one at a local substation. This increased power capacity will not only support new connections but also allow JCP&L to reroute power more quickly during an outage, restoring service to customers faster.
The infrastructure work extends across several key communities:
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Lakewood: Replacing over three miles of lines on key roads with new, larger wire and adding extra underground wires in the Leisure Village community.
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Jackson: Upgrading lines and installing a new line near Six Flags Great Adventure to facilitate quicker power rerouting during disturbances. New automatic transfer devices will also be installed in the northeastern section of town to isolate problems.
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Toms River, Manchester, & Lakehurst: Relocating existing equipment to safer locations and installing automatic switching devices to enhance reliability, particularly in the Leisure Village and southwestern areas.
Long-term investment through 2028
Beyond the initial work, JCP&L has earmarked an additional $29 million for the county through 2028 as part of its New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project. This phase will focus on installing thicker, stronger wires and poles, along with protective and automatic transfer devices in communities like Lakehurst, Manchester, Berkeley, and Lacey townships.
A final $58 million is planned through 2028 under the state-approved EnergizeNJ program. This work will focus on system modernization and resiliency, including:
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Adding new power lines to minimize the impact of outages.
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Installing over 200 new “TripSaver” devices to automatically restore power from temporary issues, such as bouncing tree branches.
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Replacing substation equipment at coastal substations that are vulnerable to salt-related corrosion.
The Ocean County initiative is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy’s larger $28 billion investment program spanning 2025 to 2029, aimed at developing a smarter, more secure grid across its service territories.
JCP&L serves 1.2 million customers across 13 New Jersey counties, with this latest investment signaling a significant commitment to keeping pace with the rapid development of the Jersey Shore’s largest county.
