Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) announced an investment of $17 million to upgrade its electric grid in Hunterdon and Monmouth counties. These reliability projects are designed to benefit thousands of customers by enhancing service dependability, increasing capacity, and improving storm resiliency. The work is part of JCP&L’s broader New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, a multi-phase, multi-year initiative to modernize the state’s power infrastructure.
In Hunterdon County, an investment of $15.4 million will serve approximately 3,600 customers in eight communities, including Alexandria, Flemington Borough, and Frenchtown Borough. The upgrades include replacing older poles and wires with larger, thicker versions to increase capacity and better withstand severe weather. Additionally, about three miles of power lines in heavily wooded areas will be moved underground to minimize outages and speed up restoration efforts in challenging terrain.
The projects also include modernizing the grid with smart technology. JCP&L is installing automated devices that can sense temporary issues, like a tree branch hitting a line, and automatically restore power once the condition is clear. This feature, along with the installation of additional protective devices, will help isolate outages and get the lights back on faster for affected customers.
A separate $1.6 million investment in Northern Monmouth County will benefit customers in Keyport, Hazlet, and Union Beach. These upgrades will modernize the local electric system by reinforcing more than 2.5 miles of power lines and poles. According to Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy’s President of New Jersey, these improvements are crucial for a growing state. “As our local communities grow, they need more power to keep homes and businesses running,” Mokoid said. “The smart improvements mean safer, more dependable electricity for everyone.”
The company’s New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project is a two-phase effort that will see at least $95 million in upgrades completed over the next two years, with work continuing through 2028. This local initiative is part of a much larger, five-year, $28 billion investment program called Energize365, undertaken by JCP&L’s parent company, FirstEnergy. The ultimate goal is to build a smarter, more secure grid that can meet the needs of both today’s customers and the future’s growth.
