NEWARK, N.J. – May 29, 2018) Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest utility, is well prepared to meet customer demand for safe, reliable electricity this summer. The utility has made significant infrastructure investments that will be in service for the first time this season, including the $1.2 billion Bergen-Linden Corridor upgrade project.   

The 345-kilovolt (kV) Bergen-Linden line runs from Ridgefield to Linden, maintaining reliability and enhancing capacity on the PSE&G transmission system. The three-phase project included: new or upgraded overhead and underground transmission facilities, a new switching station at Newark Liberty International Airport and upgrading nine stations to 345 kV.

“Forecasts may call for temperature spikes and thunderstorms just around the corner, yet customers can rest assured that when they pump up their air conditioners, we’ll be ready,” said John Latka, PSE&G senior vice president of electric and gas operations. “Projects like Bergen-Linden Corridor not only help us deliver safe, reliable electric service to our customers but increase resiliency and foster economic growth in New Jersey.

“PSE&G customers are benefiting, now and into the future, from the $3 billion in electric and gas investments the utility made this past year,” Latka noted. “Strengthening and expanding our systems while investing in our highly-skilled and dedicated workforce are some of the reasons PSE&G has remained one of the most reliable utilities in the country, and the most reliable in the Mid-Atlantic region 16 years running.”

Infrastructure Investments

Notable projects completed since the start of last summer include:

• Energized six 69,000-volt substations and associated lines. The new networks provide increased local transmission supply capacity to customers across our service area, including many living in Camden, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex and Somerset counties.
• Eliminated or raised and rebuilt 12 substations and switching stations that were damaged by water during storms, including stations in Bayonne, Cranford, Ewing, Hillsdale, Jersey City, Kearny, New Brunswick, New Milford, Newark and Totowa.
• Completed 10 substation eliminations and converted customers in Collingswood, East Rutherford, Hasbrouck Heights, Hillside, Lyndhurst, Moorestown, New Brunswick, Newark, Trenton and Union to more resilient systems.
• Completed transmission hardening project to raise station equipment in one flood-prone station; and, conducted distribution hardening project to raise and rebuild two flood-prone stations, which are partially in service, benefiting customers in Hudson County.
• Replaced 25 aging station transformers to maintain electric service reliability for customers in Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties.
• Replaced the following with modern, more durable materials throughout PSE&G’s electric distribution territory: 
• Approximately 30 miles of cable in Buried Underground Distribution locations;
• Approximately 45,000 insulators; and,
• Approximately 1,600 poles.

PSE&G also energized the last transmission line that serves the $277 million Fairmount Heights Switching Station in Newark, making the station fully operational. PSE&G had partnered with the City of Newark, community organizations and residents to implement an art wall, other beautification and a local hiring program, and plans to use elements of this new model for additional projects, such as rebuilding the Newark Switching Station.

Prepared for Additional Power Demand

The 2018 forecasted summer peak is 9,903 megawatts. Last year’s peak was 9,527 megawatts, set on July 20, 2017. PSE&G’s all-time summer peak was 11,108 megawatts, set on August 2, 2006.

PSE&G expects to have no problem delivering additional power, yet utility crews are at the ready to respond to service interruptions should they occur. The utility’s rigorous preparedness program for summer includes: conducting annual hurricane and tropical storm drills; employee training; developing emergency summer operating plans and performing summer peak reliability analysis; helicopter and climbing inspections of transmission circuits; infrared inspections; system reinforcements, and transmission line work.

How to Report an Outage and Stay Informed

 If you should experience an outage, PSE&G offers its customers a number of ways to stay in touch and informed. These tools are available at pseg.com in the Outage Center.

• Sign up for My Account and bookmark the mobile-friendly homepage on your smart phone so it’s easy to report outages and check restoration progress.
• To report power outages via text message, and receive outage updates by text and email, sign up for MyAlerts.
• Updated every 15 minutes, PSE&G’s mobile-friendly Outage Map displays the location and status of power outages in PSE&G’s service territory.
• The utility’s Twitter and Facebook pages also keep the public informed about restoration progress. Sign up as a follower to monitor the restoration process.

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