Friday, February 8, 2013
Power utility company ready to deploy workers where they are needed.
Jersey Central Power & Light continues to prepare for potential power outages due to the winter storm. More than 800 workers are ready to “tackle line repair work when it is safe to do so,” said Ron Morano, a JCP&L spokesman. Workers have been stationed in Dover and Newton and will be sent to areas if and when they are needed, Morano said. Hazard responders and forestry crews stand by ready to provide assistance during emergencies and remove downed trees. “We’ve taken many proactive steps and will be prepared to respond should we be needed,” Morano said. “The storm is forecast to be bad in North Jersey as opposed to the western part of the state.” Power outages can be found on the company’s website and the company’s new smartphone …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Additional work crews will help restore service if necessary.
Jersey Central Power & Light is bringing in additional work crews in advance of the winter storm. The storm is forecast to drop a foot or more of snow in North Jersey beginning Friday afternoon. JCP&L President Don Lynch will hold a press conference in Dover on Friday at 10 a.m. to discuss the company’s preparation work in detail. JCP&L customers blasted the utility company in the days following Superstorm Sandy. Thousands of area residents were without power for more than a week after the storm. All available work crews and support personnel will work around the clock, if necessary, to restore service to customers who lose power due to Nemo, the company announced Thursday night. More than 100 work crews from FirstEnergy's Ohio Edison, The…
Downloadable app comes after customers demand better communication following Superstorm Sandy.
The parent company of Jersey Central Power and Light is touting its new mobile phone app, which the company says could be helpful during times of power outages. The app launched by FirstEnergy Corp. is free for its customers in the five states the company's utilities serve, and offers quicker access to outage maps, simplified reporting of outages, and access to personal account information. “Our new smartphone app and mobile website make it easier for our customers to stay in touch with us and conduct every-day transactions when they’re on the go, whether it’s reporting a power outage or paying a bill,” Ronald I. Green, vice president of Customer Service, said. “The new tools also make our simple and secure online bill payment programs …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Overnight rain and wind storms left hundreds without electricity and some outages still remain.
Jersey City Power and Light reports that hundreds of Parsippany residents lost electricity following the rain and wind storms that blew through the township over night. As of 2 p.m., 38 of the utility's customers were in the dark. At its highest, nearly 900 residents were affected. JCP&L crews are working to restore the remaining customers without power. A company spokesperson would not give an estimated time, but said power will be returned as quickly as possible.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
App to launch sometime in January, according to press release.
Following several major storms in about a year—including two powerful near-hurricanes—Jersey Central Power & Light has, fairly or not, suffered some pretty harsh criticism from both customers and municipalities. On Thursday, the utility announced a series of new operational practices that, according to a press release, "will provide additional information to municipal officials about power outage restoration efforts during significant storm events." The JCP&L enhancements will include, according to the press release: Providing municipalities with maps showing electrical circuit routes in their communities; locating JCP&L municipal liaisons in company field offices to maintain contact with local officials; hosting targeted teleconference …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
In total, 223 new vehicles are being purchased for the utility, according to press release.
More than $27 million in new vehicles is being invested by JCP&L, according to a news release. The vehicles will be for line crews and "other front-line employees across its service territory," according to the release issued Dec. 20. In total, 223 new vehicles are being purchased for the utility, more than half of which will be bucket and "digger derrick" trucks that will "help employees perform their field work efficiently while also protecting workers’ safety," according to the release. The addition of the new trucks brings the total number of vehicles in the JCP&L fleet to 1,350, according to the release. “The new trucks contain advanced technology that includes enhanced hydraulics to better handle heavy materials and more robust …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Officials, residents raise concerns at third BPU hearing about utility company's storm response.
Nearly two months after Hurricane Sandy pummeled through the Northeast, the frustration about the communication from state officials and power companies in the storm aftermath is still a major discussion among members of the public. The quality and accuracy of the information flow was the key subject brought up at the Board of Public Utilities third public hearing at Hopatcong Middle School Tuesday night. More than 60 people, including local officials and residents from Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties, attended the meeting where over a dozen people commented and raised concerns to BPU and JCP&L officials about the state's preparedness and response after the storm that left millions across the state without power for days and some for …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
BPU holds hearing from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hopatcong Middle School.
Nearly two months after Superstorm Sandy, residents will have the chance to tell state officials first-hand their concerns and suggestions for the storm response and what it was like to survive without power for days. The Board of Public Utilities will hold a public hearing on Tuesday at Hopatcong Middle School from 4 to 7 p.m. to hear input from residents all over the region about what the experience in the aftermath of Sandy was like. "We hope that residents are able to give us as much information as they have," said Greg Reinert, a spokesman for BPU. "What their experiences were, what did they experience as far as the outage, whether it was a line down or what information did they get regarding the outage, what information they weren't …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Resident tells council improved emergency communication—and establishing wards and districts to represent citizens more effectively—is essential.
For five days during Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath, some residents in Parsippany's Puddingstone neighborhood were trapped in their homes without power by downed wires for five days. The Town Council heard from one of those citizens, who insisted there is a need for better communications between town agencies and power companies during emergency situations. Judy Foster made her remarks during the public comment portion of its agenda meeting Tuesday night at Town Hall. Foster described how Sandy presented a frightening, potentially dangerous situation for those who live in Parsippany's southwesternmost section. "In Puddingstone Heights, there is one road in and one road out," she said. "We are a community of about 100 homes with one …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Company's president to meet with Board of Public Utilities in Basking Ridge.
The president of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) and members of the Board of Public Utilities will appear in Basking Ridge at a public meeting Monday to discuss the utility's response to Superstorm Sandy. The state Board of Public Utilities issued a notice that the meeting will be held to solicit public comment on JCP&L's preparedness and responsiveness before, during and after Hurricane Sandy. The meeting will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the auditorium in the William Annin Middle School, 70 Quincy Road, Basking Ridge. A second hearing will be held on Dec. 18 at the Hopatcong Middle School, 1 David Road, from 4 to 7 p.m. The notice said additional hearings would be scheduled in December and in 2013.
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5:03 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
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