(NEWARK, N.J. – Oct. 23, 2019) Public Service Electric and Gas Co.’s Gas System Modernization Program has been named the 2019 Project of the Year by the Project Management Institute - New Jersey Chapter. The project team will be honored during PMINJ’s 14th International Project Management Day. 

GSMP, a three-year, $905 million program launched in 2016, replaced more than 500 miles of gas mains and approximately 38,000 service lines. GSMP enabled PSE&G to accelerate the modernization of its cast iron and unprotected steel gas infrastructure, enhancing safety, helping protect the environment and saving customers money over the long run. The program now continues, under GSMP II, with an additional 875 miles of pipes and other gas infrastructure improvements through 2023.

The program is being recognized for its complexity and its use of excellent project management standards. The award letter praised PSE&G leadership’s belief “that project management makes a difference in the success of your organization.” The PMINJ event will take place in Somerset, New Jersey.

“I am proud to call the PSE&G Gas System Modernization Program the 2019 PMINJ Project of the Year. The continuous improvement culture used by the team during the project stood out for me as a great practice,” said PMINJ President Mark Barash. He noted that customer testimonials were “very powerful, calling out the proactive risk and cost management by the team. I look forward to PSE&G's presentation on International Project Management Day, Nov. 7, 2019 for our members; there is a lot for us to learn from this team!”  

PSE&G Vice President of Gas Operations Joe Forline said, “I couldn’t be more proud of all the PSE&G employees in Gas Operations and PSE&G for their support of GSMP. It is great to see our efforts around safety, customers, and highly-disciplined project management being recognized as Project of the Year by PMI.”

Gas Construction Senior Director Michael Gaffney added, “I’m proud of our team and grateful for this honor. The work we’re doing is improving service for our customers while creating jobs and protecting the environment. It’s a tremendous effort.”

GSMP II is part of PSEG’s vision for the future of energy, Powering Progress. The $1.9 billion in infrastructure upgrades under GSMP II, which launched January 2019, are expected to:

• Replace up to 875 miles of aging cast iron and unprotected steel gas pipes with strong, durable plastic piping, which is much less likely to have leaks and release methane gas; 
• Enable the installation of excess flow valves that automatically shut off gas flow if a service line is damaged, and better support the use of high-efficiency appliances;
• Create about 3,000 full time jobs per year for the duration of the program;
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
• Keep customer bills low, with the average annual bill impact for a typical residential customer expected to be less than a 2% increase, or about $17, per year during the five years. 

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PSE&G
Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as the 2018 Outstanding Customer Reliability Experience Award. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company. PSEG has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 12 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).