Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a FirstEnergy company, is investing $108 million through 2028 to strengthen the electric grid in Ocean County, New Jersey. The upgrades aim to improve reliability, reduce outages, and meet growing energy demands driven by population growth and new developments.

The initial $21 million in upgrades, to be completed this year, includes adding two new transformers and upgrading an existing transformer at a local substation. The enhancements will provide additional electricity to new homes and businesses, while also allowing faster restoration during outages.

Key projects include:

• Lakewood: Replacement of over 3 miles of power lines with larger wire and installation of additional underground lines in the Leisure Village community.
• Jackson: Upgrades to larger wire, new lines near Six Flags Great Adventure, and devices to reroute power automatically during outages.
• Toms River: Relocation of equipment and installation of automatic switching devices to improve service reliability in multiple neighborhoods.

From 2026 to 2028, JCP&L will invest $29 million through the New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project and an additional $58 million through EnergizeNJ, a three-and-a-half-year infrastructure program approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. These programs include modernizing substations, adding TripSaver devices, and strengthening lines and poles to enhance resilience during storms.

The efforts are part of FirstEnergy’s Energize365 program, a $28 billion initiative from 2025 to 2029 aimed at building a smarter, more secure grid to meet current and future energy needs.

Source: firstenergycorp.com