Jersey Central Power & Light Announces Estimated Service Restoration Times by County
MORRISTOWN, N.J., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) today announced estimated service restoration times for customers in 13 New Jersey counties hard hit by Hurricane Irene.
"Receding flood waters coupled with steady progress in storm debris removal has allowed us to reach many previously inaccessible areas," said JCP&L President Donald M. Lynch. "We have a much clearer picture today of the work necessary to return service to all of our customers, and our restoration plan will ensure power is restored safely and efficiently."
Based on current damage assessments, the following estimated restoration times have been established for customers in the following New Jersey counties:
County |
Current Out |
Restored Aug. 31 |
Restored Sept. 1 |
Restored Sept. 2 and into early next week |
|
Monmouth |
52,000 |
30,000 |
12,000 |
9,000 |
|
Morris |
27,000 |
13,000 |
7,000 |
7,000 |
|
Sussex |
16,000 |
8,000 |
5,000 |
3,000 |
|
Ocean |
9,000 |
2,500 |
5,000 |
1,500 |
|
Hunterdon |
8,000 |
5,000 |
500 |
2,500 |
|
Somerset |
7,000 |
2,500 |
3,000 |
1,500 |
|
Union |
5,000 |
3,000 |
1,000 |
1,000 |
|
Warren |
5,000 |
1,000 |
3,000 |
1,000 |
|
Essex |
4,000 |
100 |
3,000 |
900 |
|
Middlesex |
3,000 |
1,000 |
500 |
1,500 |
|
Burlington |
1,200 |
800 |
300 |
100 |
|
Passaic |
1,000 |
50 |
750 |
200 |
|
Mercer |
350 |
50 |
50 |
250 |
|
While most JCP&L customers will see power restored by the weekend, many of the outages associated with Hurricane Irene are isolated and will require a significant number of repairs to bring small numbers of customers and individual homes back in service. Areas where heavy flooding continues or where roads are impassable will require additional time to assess and complete repairs.
More than 1,700 FirstEnergy and JCP&L utility personnel are on the ground in New Jersey working around the clock to return service safely and efficiently. Crews are first addressing hazards such as the 13,000 downed power lines across the JCP&L service territory. Also a priority is repair of lines and equipment that supply power to crucial public safety facilities, such as hospitals, critical care and life support facilities, communications facilities, emergency response agencies and circuits serving the largest number of customers.
Customers are cautioned never to touch a line that is on the ground or hanging from an electrical pole. Customers should always assume downed wires are carrying electricity and are reminded to keep their children and pets away from downed wires. Downed wires should be reported immediately to your electric company or local police or fire department. Customers should never try to remove trees or limbs from power lines because they could conduct electricity. They should wait for emergency services or utility crews to arrive. To report downed wires, JCP&L customers should call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877).
For updated information on hurricane restoration news, current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe after a storm, go to www.firstenergycorp.com.
JCP&L serves 1.1 million customers in 13 New Jersey counties.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise the nation's largest investor-owned electric system. Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed baseload coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of approximately 23,000 megawatts.
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
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