JCP&L Completes 15 Major Distribution Line Upgrades to Help Prevent or Reduce Power Outages for Electric Customers

MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has completed upgrades on 15 major circuits serving nearly 28,000 customers in Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Somerset and Warren counties.

The projects are part of an annual process to proactively identify and upgrade distribution lines across JCP&L's service area.  Through its annual circuit upgrade program, JCP&L audits reliability statistics to identify circuits that require a customized plan to boost their performance.  This year, JCP&L plans to invest $4.5 million to enhance the reliability of nearly 100 distribution lines across northern and central New Jersey.

"Our circuit upgrade program helps enhance service reliability by modernizing our distribution system with equipment that can help prevent or reduce the duration of service interruptions for our customers," said Tony Hurley, vice president of Operations for JCP&L.  "These proactive investments helped JCP&L achieve its best service reliability record in more than a decade last year, including a 33 percent reduction in system outage duration and a 19 percent improvement in customer restoration times.  In addition, our tree trimming and vegetation management programs have reduced tree-related outages more than 38 percent."

Upgrade work includes the installation of more resilient fuses, animal guards and lightning protection devices; enhancing tree trimming efforts; replacing wooden cross-arms at the top of utility poles that are showing signs of wear; and installing fault indicators that help pinpoint problem areas, helping to speed the restoration process if an outage occurs.  The 2016 upgrades also include the installation of automatic tie recloser technology, which allows JCP&L to automatically detect and isolate the location of a fault so the vast majority of customers served by the line can be restored quickly while repairs are made specifically where the damage occurred.

Circuit upgrades were completed in the following counties and municipalities:

• Burlington – Pemberton Township
• Hunterdon – Clinton Township and Readington Township
• Mercer – East Windsor Township and Hightstown Borough
• Monmouth – Marlboro Township, Middletown Township and Millstone Township
• Morris – Boonton Township, Jefferson Township, Montville Township, Borough of Mount Arlington and Roxbury Township
• Ocean – Berkeley Township, Brick Township, Township of Toms River and Lakewood Township
• Somerset – Bernards Township, Borough of Bernardsville, Borough of Far Hills and Borough of Peapack and Gladstone
• Warren – Allamuchy Township, Frelinghuysen Township and Independence Township

JCP&L is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. FE.  JCP&L serves 1.1 million New Jersey customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Follow JCP&L on Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL, or online at www.jcp-l.com.

www.firstenergycorp.com

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.