Upgrades part of company's $95 million investment to enhance grid reliability in New Jersey

HOLMDEL, N.J. , Aug. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Monmouth County residents can look forward to more reliable power as Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) company, invests $1.6 million to modernize the local electric system. The upgrades support fewer disruptions and shorter ones when they do occur for thousands of customers in Keyport, Hazlet and Union Beach.

More Flexibility, Faster Outage Restoration

This investment is part of JCP&L's ongoing commitment to delivering safe, dependable electricity to the communities it serves. What this means for customers:

• Fewer outages: Smart upgrades to neighborhood power lines will help limit the number of customers affected when outages happen.
• Faster restoration: Crews will be able to reroute power more efficiently, getting the lights back on quicker.
• Smarter system: These improvements give JCP&L more flexibility to respond to issues and keep power flowing.

Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's President of New Jersey: "We are all about building a stronger, more balanced electric system for our customers. At the end of the day, our priority is making sure you get reliable, safe service you can count on. This work reinforces our commitment to delivering a resilient energy future that keeps our customers' homes and businesses powered, today and tomorrow."

Bigger Poles, Bigger Wire

Project work includes:

• Upgrading more than 2.5 miles of overhead power lines and poles to boost capacity and storm resilience.
• Modernizing devices that detect abnormal conditions and protect equipment automatically.
• Adding equipment to reroute power to adjacent lines during outages to minimize the number of impacted customers.

Part of a Larger Plan

The work is part of JCP&L's New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, a two-phase effort to enhance the reliability of lines with a history of outages. At least $95 million in upgrades will be completed over the next two years, with longer term projects continuing through 2028.

The New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's $28 billion investment program to modernize the electric grid across the footprint between 2025 and 2029. The goal: a smarter, more secure grid that meets the needs of today's customers and tomorrow's growth. 

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 X @JCP_L, on Facebook at facebook.com/JCPandL or online at jcp-l.com.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. FirstEnergy's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on X @FirstEnergyCorp or online at firstenergycorp.com.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.