UNIONDALE, N.Y., June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With summer arriving, PSEG Long Island is prepared for hurricane season and to meet peak electrical demand during extreme heat in the coming months. While PSEG Long Island cannot control the weather, and storms will cause outages, the company has incorporated numerous enhancements and upgrades to the electric grid, its systems and its storm processes, making it the most reliable overhead electric service provider in New York State.
What’s an “automatic recloser” and how does it help minimize outages?
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2026 PSEG Long Island Storm Hardening improvement infographic
A worker installs an automatic branch line recloser unit in Great River as part of PSEG Long Island’s ongoing storm hardening efforts that help make it the most reliable overhead electric service provider in New York State.
PSEG Long Island has storm hardened more than 1,400 miles of distribution circuits since it began in 2014.
"PSEG Long Island personnel evaluate the system, plan and make improvements all year round to ensure the grid is ready for summer's extreme weather conditions," said Michael Sullivan, vice president of Electric Operations at PSEG Long Island.
Electric Infrastructure Improvements Across Long Island and the Rockaways, PSEG Long Island has prepared the electric infrastructure by focusing on substation, and transmission and distribution improvements, as well as by performing circuit and equipment inspections using helicopters and infrared technology.
Storm Hardening Since 2014, PSEG Long Island has storm hardened more than 1,400 miles of distribution circuits with stronger poles, stronger wire and narrower crossarms that more easily deflect falling tree limbs.
From the first quarter of 2025 through the first quarter of 2026, the sections of circuits that are storm hardened have seen a 45% reduction in damage leading to outages compared to the rest of the distribution system.
To further improve reliability and maintain affordability this year, PSEG Long Island has utilized FEMA funding to install 8,500 "automatic branch line reclosers" on many of its distribution circuits, bringing the total count of automatic branch line reclosers up to 10,000 units across the electrical system by the end of the year.
PSEG Long Island PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority's transmission and distribution system under a long-term contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company.
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