JCP&L Investing $15 Million in Stronger Electric Future for Hunterdon County

JCP&L Investing $15 Million in Stronger Electric Future for Hunterdon County. Photo Credit: JCP&L

HOLMDEL - Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has begun a $15.4 million upgrade aimed at improving the reliability and resiliency of electric service for more than 3,600 customers in the county.

The project focuses on substations in Baptistown and Rosemont, where electricity demand has been increasing. According to JCP&L, the work will strengthen infrastructure, reduce the number of customers affected by outages, and improve the ability to restore service more quickly during storms.

The upgrades include reconfiguring neighborhood circuits to allow for temporary switching during outages, replacing more than 20 miles of overhead lines and 30 utility poles, and burying nearly three miles of lines in remote wooded areas to reduce storm-related damage. Additional improvements will add equipment that can reroute power during disruptions and install automated “TripSaver” devices that restore service after brief interruptions without requiring a crew.

The company is also expanding tree trimming and vegetation management in the area.

Doug Mokoid, president of FirstEnergy’s New Jersey operations, said the work is designed to keep pace with the county’s growth. “We’re strengthening overhead power lines and putting some lines underground to help make sure our customers have power they can rely on – even during storms,” he added.

The Hunterdon County work is part of JCP&L’s New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, a two-phase initiative targeting lines with a history of outages. At least $95 million in upgrades are planned over the next two years, with additional projects continuing through 2028.

The broader effort is included in Energize365, FirstEnergy’s $28 billion program to modernize its electric grid across its service area from 2025 to 2029.