Jersey Central Power & Light has begun preparing land in central New Jersey for infrastructure upgrades that will enhance the regional power grid and improve service reliability for thousands of residents and businesses in Ocean and Burlington counties.
The upgrade is scheduled as New Jersey residents brace for higher electricity costs because the state’s power grid is overtaxed and the state’s leaders are scrambling to find solutions to increase capacity.
The project involves clearing brush along 14 miles of right-of-way to make room for utility poles that will support a high-voltage power line. The line will help enhance the efficiency and reliability of electricity delivery while providing a backup power source to keep the juice flowing if wires or equipment on the region’s primary line are damaged or must be taken out of service. The work will involve the communities of North Hanover Township, New Hanover, Plumsted Township, and Jackson Township.
Construction is scheduled to begin in early September. Helicopters will be used to install equipment and string power lines in areas difficult to access by ground. This approach offers a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to using heavy equipment, which would otherwise require building roads or clearing large paths.
By flying in materials and placing them with precision, helicopters minimize landscape disruption, enhance worker safety and accelerate the construction process. The project is expected to be completed in June 2026.
FirstEnergy’s New Jersey president Doug Mokoid said, “As energy needs continue to grow and evolve, we’re keeping pace by strengthening our grid, adding capacity and using innovative tools like helicopters to build a more resilient system that keeps the power flowing, even during storms or unexpected outages.”
As part of the work, new and existing overhead high-voltage lines along the project route will be upgraded to stronger, thicker wire that can better handle increased capacity and is more resilient during storms.
This project is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy’s grid-evolution program focused on investing $28 billion between 2025 and 2029 across its six-state footprint to create a smarter, more secure grid.
JCP&L serves 1.1 million customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Â
