Major Electric Grid Upgrades to Enhance Service for JCP&L Customers

In a bid to enhance the reliability and safety of power services, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has initiated a series of significant upgrades to the electric grid serving Burlington and northwestern Ocean counties. This project is part of JCP&L's commitment to improve service for approximately 2,500 customers within these regions, and it showcases a substantial investment of $3.2 million aimed at meeting both current and future energy demands.

The upgrade project, anticipated to be completed by July 2025, consists of two main phases:

Phase One: Infrastructure Enhancements


The first phase focuses on transforming two sections of the power lines originating from a JCP&L substation located in Cookstown, Burlington County. Key enhancements during this phase include:
  • - Upgrading to thicker, stronger wires and poles designed to manage larger electricity loads and improve resilience against storms.
  • - Installation of upgraded fuses and additional reclosers. These devices ensure that when an outage occurs, power can be rerouted to maintain service for adjacent lines, thereby minimizing outages for customers.
  • - Implementation of TripSaver devices that identify temporary power line disturbances, such as tree branches hitting the wires, and automatically restore service without the need for manual intervention from crews.
  • - Increased tree trimming and vegetation management efforts along the power lines to reduce the risk of outages caused by falling branches or foliage.

Phase Two: New Power Line Construction


The second phase will involve constructing a new power line designed to better address the increasing customer demand. This new line will provide crucial connections to existing lines, thereby enhancing overall reliability and enabling more efficient isolation of issues during outages.

This initiative is part of JCP&L's Supplemental High Priority Circuit Program, which expands upon the New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, aimed at enhancing reliability without significantly raising customer costs. The targeted upgrades were selected based on detailed historical outage data to ensure maximum benefit for customers on high-priority circuits.

The current upgrades align with JCP&L's broader initiative, Energize365, which is part of FirstEnergy's plan to invest a staggering $26 billion over the years 2024 to 2028 to create a more intelligent and secure grid across its six-state service area. This comprehensive approach is designed to meet the growing challenges of electricity demand while ensuring the delivery of dependable power to customers.

As of now, JCP&L serves about 1.1 million customers across 12 counties, providing essential energy services in regions including Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, and Monmouth, among others. The improvements signify not only a commitment to enhancing grid reliability but also to ensuring that JCP&L customers can depend on safe, efficient, and future-ready energy solutions.

For updates on the project and other information, customers are encouraged to follow JCP&L on platforms such as X (@JCP_L) and Facebook (facebook.com/JCPandL), or visit their official website jcp-l.com. FirstEnergy Corp. continues to prioritize integrity, safety, and operational excellence across its electric distribution companies, which together comprise one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the nation, serving over six million customers nationwide.

Topics Energy)

【About Using Articles】

You can freely use the title and article content by linking to the page where the article is posted.
※ Images cannot be used.

【About Links】

Links are free to use.