PSE&G Storm Restoration Update - Nov 3, 2012 11 a.m.

NEWARK, N.J., Nov. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PSE&G has restored service to 65 percent of those who lost power in Hurricane Sandy.  In the last 24 hours, we restored service to all major gas refineries and 75% of the schools in our service territory.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120830/MM62627LOGO )

Also in the last 24 hours we energized all of our switching stations and restored 16 substations.  While energizing switching and substations does not automatically turn the lights on, it is a major step forward and allows us to focus on our distribution systems that are closer to the customer.

Currently about 73 percent of all PSE&G customers have power while 607,000 customers are still without power. At its peak, the storm impacted 1.7 million of PSE&G's 2.2 million electric customers.

The switching stations that were re-energized are the backbone of our system and they feed substations which we continue to work around the clock to restore.  The 16 substations that we restored in the last 24 hours serve parts of Union Township, Kenilworth, Cranford, and Roselle Park, Bound Brook, Port Newark, Ironbound section of Newark, Hillside, Irvington, Elizabeth, North Plainfield, Bayonne, Jersey City, Linden and Carteret. 

We currently have 2,794 mutual aid line workers and tree contractors from out-of-state helping us on the ground.  An additional 319 new workers are due today and 300 more are being sent from Washington, DC.   Another 102 out-of-state personnel who specialize in substations are here assisting our efforts.

PSE&G is focusing its efforts this weekend on those areas where we can restore power to the maximum number of customers. In addition to the municipalities listed below, we continue to address priority customers including hospitals, public safety facilities, schools and water systems throughout our service territory.

Here is a summary of this weekend's restoration work schedule:

Hudson County

• PSE&G has been working to restore the substations serving Jersey City and Bayonne and hopes to restore service to over 85% of those cities today.  PSE&G and out-of-state crews will be working in those areas all weekend.
• The utility expects the vast majority of its customers in Union City and West New York will have power by Saturday evening.
• Of the 306,900 customers in Hudson County, 225,480 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 99,400 were still without power.
• In Hoboken, extensive flooding is preventing PSE&G from repairing three of the substations that serve the town.  It will take an extended period of time to restore service. PSE&G is working with FEMA to get generators to strategic locations in Hoboken to provide relief while the utility works to repair severely damaged and flooded substations.
• Exxon and Hess refineries have power.

Essex County

• Of the 346,260 customers in Essex County, 251,000 customers lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 122,400 customers remain out of service.
• PSE&G has restored service to 65% of the customers in Newark and will be working in the city all weekend.
• Crews will be also be focusing on Irvington, West Orange, Montclair, East Orange, Bloomfield, Maplewood, Orange and Belleville this weekend.

Bergen County

• Of the 333,690 customers in Bergen County, 215,770 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 142,100 customers remained without power.
• Crews will be focusing on Teaneck, Englewood, Ridgewood, Fort Lee, Paramus, Bergenfield, Palisades Park, New Milford, River Edge, Glen Rock, Tenafly, Hackensack, Lodi and Bogota this weekend.

Mercer County

• Of the 137,340 customers in Mercer County, 94,000 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 10,500 remained without power.
• Crews will be focusing on Princeton Township, Ewing Township, Lawrence Township, West Windsor, Trenton, Hopewell, Princeton Borough, Hamilton Township and Pennington this weekend.

Burlington County

• Of the 165,350 customers in Burlington County, 71,600 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 6,000 remained without power.
• Crews will be focusing on Moorestown, Willingboro, Maple Shade, Mt. Laurel and Delran this weekend.

Passaic County:

• Of the 173,000 customers in Passaic County, 87,000 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 53,000 remained without power.
• Crews will be focusing on Paterson, Clifton, Passaic and Wayne this weekend.
• Power was lost last night in part of Totowa as a result of a car accident that took out a utility pole. 

Camden County:

• Of the 161,000 customers in Passaic County, 27,800 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 5,000 remained without power.  
• Crews will be focusing on Cherry Hill, Camden and Pennsauken this weekend.

Union County:

• Of the 192,340 customers in Union County, 177,860 lost electricity.  As of Saturday morning, 73,000 remained without power.  
• Crews will be focusing on Elizabeth, Union, Plainfield, Linden and Westfield this weekend. Work in Elizabeth and Union will continue into Monday.

Middlesex County:

• Of the 250,350 customers in Middlesex County, 217,400 customers lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 61,000 remained without power.  
• Crews will be focusing on Edison, Piscataway, Woodbridge and East Brunswick

Somerset County:

• Of the 103,500 customers in Somerset County, 83,940 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 31,700 remained without power.  
• Crews will be focusing on Franklin Township this weekend.

** The restoration work schedule for Monday and Tuesday will be available on Sunday.

PSE&G's Mobile Customer Service Centers: To provide relief to particularly hard hit communities, PSE&G has established mobile Customer Service Centers (CSCs).  These locations are providing ice, drinking water and power strips for recharging devices to PSE&G customers at no cost.  Food is being given out at PSE&G's centers in Newark, Jersey City and Hoboken.   PSE&G representatives are staffing these centers to provide customers with information about the utility's efforts to restore power.  The current list of PSE&G Mobile CSCs is as follows. 

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey's oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state's population. PSE&G is the winner of the Reliability One Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com)

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SOURCE Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)