FirstEnergy's Unit Starts $5.1M Grid Upgrade Project in Northern N.J.

Core Viewpoint - FirstEnergy Corporation's subsidiary, Jersey Central Power & Light, is undertaking a 5.1 million project to upgrade electric service lines in Sussex County, expected to enhance reliability for approximately 1,700 customers by November this year [1][2]. Group 1: Project Details - The construction involves upgrading overhead lines and installing nearly 2,000 feet of underground wires in Roxbury Township [3]. - The project includes enhanced tree trimming, stronger poles, and overhead wires to improve resilience during storms [3]. - Additional protective devices and reclosers will be installed to minimize customer impact during outages [4]. Group 2: Reliability Improvement Initiative - This project is part of JCP&L's New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, which has a total investment of at least 95 million over three years [5]. - The initiative aims to improve service reliability based on historical outage data [5]. Group 3: Financial and Operational Benefits - The upgrades are expected to lead to fewer outages during storms, reducing repair and maintenance costs for the company [7]. - Enhanced infrastructure will allow the company to better meet current and future energy needs, potentially improving financial performance [6]. Group 4: Broader Industry Context - FirstEnergy's project is part of a larger grid evolution program, Energize365, which plans to invest $28 billion from 2025 to 2029 to create a smarter, more secure grid [8]. - Other utilities, such as Dominion Energy, Exelon Corporation, and Entergy Corporation, are also investing significantly in infrastructure upgrades to enhance reliability [9][10].