HOLMDEL, N.J., June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power
and Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:
FE), has completed inspections and conducted equipment maintenance
projects across its 3,200-square-mile service area to enhance
customer service reliability as part of its annual summer
preparedness plan. The company is also ready to respond to
power outages caused during the Atlantic hurricane season, which
began last week and is forecasted to bring above-average storm
activity.
As part of the annual preparations, JCP&L utilizes
helicopters and ground-based teams to inspect more than 780 miles
of transmission lines located in the JCP&L territory. The
reviews look for potential tree-related issues, damaged wires,
broken cross arms, failed insulators and switches and other
hardware problems. JCP&L also is trimming trees along
approximately 3,700 miles of transmission and distributions lines
this year, and any other potential reliability issues identified
during the work are safely and quickly addressed.
Additionally, the inspections include the use of thermovision
cameras to capture infrared images that can detect potential
problems with equipment such as transformers and capacitors. By
identifying these hot spots, maintenance and repair efforts can be
conducted prior to a power outage occurring.
"Earlier this year, we announced the completion of $97 million in automation and infrastructure
reliability projects, designed in part to minimize the impacts of
severe weather events," said Jim
Fakult, president of JCP&L. "Our team is continuously
working to supplement these improvements with strategic decisions
to help improve response times in the event of outages."
One of those strategic moves is the staging of critical
equipment closer to the shore and Barrier Island Peninsula because
of its attraction to tourism during the summer months and
vulnerability to severe weather. When tropical storms and
hurricanes make landfall, the first areas they hit are barrier
islands – thin ribbons of sand that line the Atlantic Coast and
absorb much of a storm's force, reducing wave energy and protecting
inland areas.
As part of its hurricane preparation planning, FirstEnergy's own
team of certified in-house meteorologists use National Hurricane
Center data to help predict any hurricane or tropical storm's
impact on JCP&L's central and northern New Jersey service areas. This information is
used to help pre-position outside personnel and resources in
New Jersey prior to the weather
event occurring.
If a major storm strikes, JCP&L can call on thousands of
line workers, hazard responders, forestry workers and support
personnel from FirstEnergy's other utilities that can be deployed
to New Jersey to help restore
service to customers as quickly as possible. In addition, JCP&L
has access to several utility industry mutual assistance
organizations that could provide additional resources to help
restore service to customers, if necessary.
Last month, JCP&L's storm readiness team held a training
exercise that simulated a large-scale hurricane response,
incorporating estimated time of restoration and communication
processes that were improved following Tropical Storm Isaias last
summer.
Hurricane season officially began June
1, and family storm plans should include extra batteries and
flashlights, blankets and sleeping bags, emergency supplies of
bottled water and convenient, non-perishable foods. For more
information on preparing for severe weather, or for updates if
storms do cause power outages, visit the 24/7 Power Center at
www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.
As summer temperatures soar, JCP&L offers customers tips to
help improve their energy efficiency at
www.firstenergycorp.com/save_energy.
Summer also is a time when contractors and homeowners spend more
time outdoors completing projects. Important outdoor electrical
safety tips are available at
www.firstenergycorp.com/publicsafety.
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. Follow JCP&L on
Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL or online
at www.jcp-l.com.
FirstEnergy Corp. is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability
and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies
form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
Follow FirstEnergy and its utilities on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp,
@ToledoEdison, @IlluminatingCo, @OhioEdison, @MonPowerWV, @JCP_L,
@Penn_Power, @Penelec, @Met_Ed, @PotomacEdison, @W_Penn_Power.
Editor's Note: Photos of workers completing
equipment upgrades and summer readiness inspections are available
for download on Flickr. A video of utility personnel conducting a
thermovision inspection and explaining the work can be found on the
company's YouTube channel.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.