Reliability Overview
On-demand Power Is Our Mutual Goal
You want electric service available when you need it, and so does PSE&G. Safe, reliable service is key to meeting customer needs. That’s one of the reasons PSE&G’s reliability ranks among the top 10 percent of national utilities with more than 500,000 customers.
Recently PSE&G received the electric utility industry's highest honor, the 2022 Edison Award, from the Edison Electric Institute, in recognition of industry-leading efforts to protect New Jersey communities and customers from extreme weather conditions.
| In 2022, for the 21st consecutive year, we were recognized by PA Consulting as the recipient of the ReliabilityOne® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance in the Mid-Atlantic Metropolitan Service Area. ReliabilityOne® Awards are given annually to the utilities that have achieved outstanding reliability performance and have excelled in delivering the most reliable electric service to their customers. In the past, we also have been honored by PA Consulting with awards for national excellence, response to a major outage event, outage response time, customer engagement and the Outstanding Customer Reliability Experience Award. |
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Ensuring Reliable Service
If you’re a PSE&G customer, your power stays on 99.99% of the time, with few exceptions.
Outages leave a lasting impression because today’s customers depend on electricity to fuel their lives. When the power does go out – usually due to weather – PSE&G customers on average are restored within 62 minutes, while the national median is 2 to 3 hours.
How are we able to keep the lights on and power your lives?
Customers are at the heart of everything we do.
During the last 10 years, PSE&G invested billions to upgrade and harden our transmission facilities. In the aftermath of historic storms like Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Isaias, through programs like Energy Strong, we also invested in modernizing our technology systems and raising distribution station equipment in flood-prone areas -- all with an eye on maintaining reliability and enhancing the resiliency of our energy system. We worked hard to make it easier for customers to do business with us and stay connected during storms and other events.
We also are working toward realizing our vision of the future, Powering Progress. PSE&G wants to help you use less energy, and it’s cleaner, safer and delivered more reliably than ever.
PSE&G Commitment
Our efforts include:
- Customer communication: Using tools like text alerts, a robust Outage Map, social media and My Account, we strive to ensure customers receive outstanding, two-way communication.
- Dedicated employees: PSE&G crews are in our neighborhoods every single day, no matter the weather, to safely provide you with high-quality service.
- Modern equipment and upgrades: PSE&G reengineered substations to make them more responsive and resilient. We’re one of the nation’s largest investors in modern switchgear.
- Smart grid technology: From utility poles to computer systems and communications networks, we’re adding advanced technology that helps detect power outages, troubleshoot the cause and restore power faster.
- Vegetation management: We work hard to balance our customers’ needs for reliable electricity and the health and viability of trees. We use ISA certified arborists to plan and inspect all vegetation management and pruning. Vegetation conflicts with energized equipment are one of the primary sources of power outages. As part of our prevention efforts, we trim trees along 3,500 miles of distribution power lines per year.
- Inspections: We conduct thorough inspections and tests of our systems throughout the year to detect issues before they result in outages, including the use of infrared and other technology.
- Maintenance: We work year-round to maintain our electric delivery system, which includes 300 substations and more than 14,200 miles of power lines. In particular, to ensure we meet summer demand, we have a checklist of more than 65 activities completed with a focus on operational excellence.
- Environmental care: We work diligently to keep out animals, like squirrels and birds, that can damage equipment and cause outages. We also build habitats and create other safe havens for engendered species because we care about sustainability, our environment and our communities.
- Transmission upgrades: PSE&G also is upgrading its local power system by increasing system capacity and enhancing reliability. PSE&G is replacing many of its 50-plus-year-old 26kV lines and extending 69kV transmission throughout the state. Download PDF
Natural Gas – Reliable & Safe Service
As we work toward realizing our vision of powering a future where people use less energy, and it’s cleaner, safer and delivered more reliably than ever, we know that reliable and safe natural gas service remains important to you.
Whether it’s cooking for your family, running loads of laundry or keeping your home or business warm in the winter, we provide high efficiency options that help meet your needs. You also get great value from our service as PSE&G residential gas rates tend to be the lowest or one of the lowest in the state due, in part, to our work to counter commodity price fluctuations.
Gas service safety is a priority
Customers are at the heart of everything we do. Because natural gas is a regulated fuel that can be dangerous, we adhere to the industry’s strict safety standards. We have 2,500 highly-trained Gas Operations employees who support the infrastructure and are here 24 hours-a-day to respond to natural gas emergencies. We also train and practice for emergencies year round.
We educate the public and encourage you to quickly move away from possible gas leaks and report them immediately so we can respond, along with local police and fire departments when needed.
Upgrades help you, the environment & the economy
Since 2014, we’ve invested billions to upgrade older cast iron or steel pipes and replace them with advanced materials that can also handle lower-carbon fuels, including hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG). This modernization reduces leaks, improves safety and allows for higher pressure service to support customer needs.
As of January 2023, we’ve replaced more than 1,500 miles of gas main, reducing methane emissions by approximately 300,000 metric tons CO2e – the equivalent of taking 65,000 cars off the road. The current phase of the Gas System Modernization Program (GSMP), which was recently completed, has reduced methane emissions by approximately 22% compared to 2018 levels.
The updated pipelines are also more reliable. When Tropical Storm Ida caused widespread flooding in September 2021, 90,000 gas customers were spared shutoffs due to our modernizing efforts.
GSMP has sustained a skilled workforce and thousands of jobs, and has the prospect of creating thousands more, which helps boost New Jersey’s economy.
PSE&G Commitment
Our efforts include:
- Customer safety: You’ll find us at community events, schools, malls and businesses as we educate the public about what to do when you smell gas. We also run training sessions for local first responders, who count on us to help keep areas safe in emergencies.
- Dedicated employees: PSE&G crews are in your neighborhoods every single day, no matter the weather, to ensure you have safe and reliable service.
- Modern equipment and upgrades: We upgrade our equipment to improve customer service while caring about the planet. Learn about our GSMP phase III proposal.
- Inspections: We conduct thorough inspections and tests of our systems throughout the year to detect issues before they result in leaks or outages, including meter inspections.
- Maintenance: We work year-round to maintain our natural gas delivery system, which includes 56 metering and regulating stations and more than 35,600 miles of gas mains and related equipment. In particular, to ensure we meet winter demand, we prepare by focusing on operational excellence as we complete a checklist of activities.
- Environmental care: We’ve proposed a three-year extension of GSMP that would replace an additional 1,140 miles of aging mains, reduce annual CO2e emissions by approximately 145,000 metric tons and put thousands of people to work. The proposal also includes innovative lower-carbon, natural gas alternative projects, one with renewable natural gas (RNG)and a hydrogen project.
