JCP&L Restores Service to More Than 900,000 Customers Affected by Hurricane Sandy

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Nov 06, 2012, 03:43 ET

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has restored power to more than 900,000 of the 1.2 million JCP&L customers affected by Hurricane Sandy, marking five consecutive days where crews have restored at least 100,000 customers per day.

While restoration continues, JCP&L is preparing for a Nor'easter that is expected to arrive Wednesday with high winds and heavy rain. Crews already in place will continue to work through the storm as safety permits.

About 250,000 of JCP&L's customers remain without power, most of whom live in Morris, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The vast majority of customers will be restored by Wednesday, November 7. Customers in harder-hit areas can expect to be restored throughout the coming week.

Many JCP&L customers along the barrier islands and coastal towns of Monmouth and Ocean counties, and other areas that are unsafe to energize cannot be completely restored because of severe damage to homes, businesses, roads and infrastructure.

Go to: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/customer/outages_help/Sandy/njoutagescounty.html for a county-by-county list outlining the number of JCP&L customers who remain without power, how many have been restored, and how many were affected by power outages from Hurricane Sandy.

Restoring power to customers is being handled by more than 8,800 professionals, including 4,100 linemen and 1,500 forestry workers. An additional 600 linemen are arriving today to assist JCP&L's restoration effort. JCP&L has received crews from as far away as California, Washington state and Florida.

"The new Nor'easter, although not as strong as Hurricane Sandy, has the potential to slow down restoration and cause new outages. We urge all our customers to prepare, just in case, and ask for their patience while we deal with the weather's next onslaught," said Don Lynch, President of JCP&L. "We have the largest contingent of linemen and forestry crews JCP&L has ever seen, as well as experienced professionals from many state and federal agencies. Together, we will finish the job of restoring power as soon as possible."

Since Hurricane Sandy began, JCP&L crews have restored high-voltage transmission connections to substations and have completed 34.5 kilovolt connections, which bring high voltage to the local neighborhood system. More JCP&L crews are transitioning to repair local lines.

JCP&L is completing restoration to police and fire departments, water and sewage treatment plants, hospitals, schools, and gas stations. Many of these priority customers require extensive repairs to connect. For customers still without power, JCP&L set up charging stations for cell phones and tablet computers at locations where free ice and water also are being distributed. For more information, go to www.firstenergycorp.com/storminfo.

Hurricane Sandy caused widespread destruction in the JCP&L service area. More than 1,000 utility poles are being replaced. More than 35,000 trees have been cut and removed from JCP&L equipment since the hurricane struck New Jersey last week. Crews are replacing approximately 4,300 spans of wire and 400 transformers. About 180 miles of wire, 2,700 poles and 1,000 transformers have been delivered to JCP&L.

JCP&L is using a helicopter with an aerial saw that cuts vegetation away from lines and 15 crews from the Army Corps of Engineers are helping JCP&L forestry crews clear roads.

As debris from the storm is being cleared, customers are cautioned never to touch downed lines. Customers should always assume downed wires are carrying electricity and are reminded to keep children and pets away from them. Downed wires should be reported immediately to your electric company or local police or fire department. Customers should never try to remove trees or limbs from power lines because they could conduct electricity. They should wait for emergency services or utility crews to arrive.

To report an outage, customers should call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) – it's the fastest way to begin the restoration process. Customers are reminded that even if they do not see crews working in their neighborhood, work could be under way at a nearby substation or other location that serves the neighborhood.

Customers also are reminded to stay clear of crews as they assess damage and repair equipment. By allowing crews to work, the restoration of power will be faster and people will remain safe.

Customers with mobile devices can obtain updated information on current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe. Customers are urged to visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages. Or follow JCP&L onTwitter @JCP_L and Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL for the latest information.

To ensure the safety of the home's occupants as well as that of utility company employees who may be working on power lines in the area, the proper generator should be selected and installed by a qualified electrician. When operating a generator, always disconnect the power coming into your home. Otherwise, power from your generator could be sent back onto the utility company lines, creating a hazardous situation for utility workers.

For updated information on hurricane restoration news, current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe after a storm, go to www.firstenergycorp.com.

JCP&L is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE). JCP&L serves 1.1 million customers in 13 New Jersey counties.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. Its generation subsidiaries control more than 20,000 megawatts of capacity from a diversified mix of scrubbed coal, non-emitting nuclear, natural gas, hydro, pumped-storage hydro and other renewables.
Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy