Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) reports that thousands of customers experienced fewer power outages last year as the company reached the halfway point of its $95 million New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project — a multiyear effort to make the electric system stronger and more dependable.
In parts of Morris and Monmouth counties, nearly 16,500 customers saw more than an 80% drop in outages in 2025 compared to the year before, thanks to upgrades on local power lines targeted by the project.
“These improvements are keeping lights on more often and getting them back on faster when they do go out,” said Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy’s president, New Jersey.
“We’re seeing real improvements, and we’re committed to making smart investments to bring that same level of reliability to even more communities as this work continues.”
To reduce the number and length of outages, JCP&L is improving areas that have had frequent service interruptions by:
- Strengthening poles and wires, so they hold up better during storms.
- Moving certain power lines underground in places where overhead equipment is more easily damaged.
- Adding smart equipment that can automatically detect problems and restore power more quickly.
- Adjusting how local lines are arranged so fewer customers lose power when something goes wrong.
- Increasing tree trimming to help prevent branches and vegetation from causing outages.
The New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project includes upgrades to 18 circuits — groups of neighborhood power lines — across JCP&L’s service area. Work is already underway on seven of them, with three more starting this month and six beginning in early 2026.
Upcoming work includes:
- Hunterdon County: More than 7 miles of upgraded overhead lines and 1,000 feet of new underground cables near the Glen Gardner substation, plus new transformers and devices, giving crews more flexibility to keep customers powered.
- Southern Ocean County: A new 4.3‑mile power line along Route 9 and additional smart devices to reduce the number of customers affected during an outage.
- Warren County: Upgrades to more than 9 miles of power lines and new protective equipment for customers served by the Blairstown substation.
These three projects, scheduled to finish by the end of 2026, will improve reliability for nearly 10,000 customers.
JCP&L’s New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy’s long-term investment program to modernize and strengthen the electric grid.
FirstEnergy plans to invest $28 billion between 2025 and 2029 to build a smarter, more resilient grid that meets the evolving needs of communities across the service area.
