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(NEWARK, N.J. – December 23, 2020) Public Service Electric & Gas, New Jersey’s largest utility, is monitoring the forecast and prepared for the strong winds, rain and possible snow Thursday evening into Friday (Christmas Eve into Christmas Day). The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 60 mph. These conditions can bring down trees and tree limbs, causing wires to come down that result in power interruptions. Given the potential intensity of the storm and lack of available crews from other utilities to help due to the holiday, some outages may last into the weekend.

In order to prepare for the storm, PSE&G employees are foregoing holiday vacation to fulfill our commitment to providing safe, reliable power, and we continue our efforts to secure additional personnel to respond to the power outages caused by the storm. PSE&G has also completed system checks of critical transmission and distribution equipment, and performed logistics checks to ensure the availability of critical materials, fuel and other supplies. 

“We know many of our customers have holiday plans, so we will have all available crews ready to restore those who lose power as quickly as possible,” said Jack Bridges, PSE&G’s vice president for Electric Operations. “We understand how important having electricity is to everyone at this time of the year and will do all we can to minimize any interruptions. We encourage customers to contact us immediately should they experience an outage.”
PSE&G is prepared to maintain safe, reliable service during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“In response to the outbreak, we have adapted our storm and safety procedures to follow public health guidelines and industry best practices,” Bridges said. “We thank our customers for their patience as we operate under these unusual circumstances to restore power as fast as it can be done safely.”

The safety of PSE&G’s customers and employees is the company’s top priority. We ask that customers remain in their homes while crews are working nearby. If customers must speak with our crews, we ask that they practice responsible physical distancing and remain at least 6 feet away to ensure the health of everyone involved. For more information about how PSE&G continues to live up to its commitments during the pandemic, please visit pseg.com/COVID19.

Customers should prepare, be cautious and stay alert to their surroundings during and after storms. 

What you can do now:

• Be ready to communicate about your situation.
• Make sure you have a family emergency plan.
• Charge your phones, tablets, power backups and other mobile devices.
• If your mobile service provides a “hotspot” for areas without internet access, learn how to use it.
• Review more storm preparation tips at https://nj.pseg.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety.
  
  

Stay connected with PSE&G:

• Compile a list of emergency phone numbers; include PSE&G Customer Service 1-800-436-PSEG. 
• Go to pseg.com/myaccount to sign up to report outages online and to check restoration progress.
• Go to pseg.com/outagecenter to check the “Outage Map,” which is updated every 15 minutes with PSE&G outage information, and to register for MyAlerts to receive text notifications.
• You can report an outage by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG (47734) or via Alexa.
• The new PSE&G mobile app enables customers using Apple or Android devices to securely and easily manage their accounts when and where the customers want to be served.
• “Like” PSEG on Facebook and follow PSEG on Twitter @PSEGdelivers.
  
  

Stay away from downed wires:

• Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and immediately call PSE&G at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734) or 911 to report downed wires.
  
  

Other important safety notes:

• To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, do not run any gasoline-powered generators in a garage or any other enclosed space.
• If you are on life-sustaining medical equipment, ensure that you alert PSE&G in advance and notify your local police and fire departments. For more information, visit www.pseg.com/life.

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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 three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. 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.

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