Listen to this articleJersey Central Power & Light crews are working on a major upgrade in Monmouth County to improve service for more than 11,000 customers.
The FirstEnergy Corp. electric company provided an update on the project Dec. 15. The work started in September. It includes rebuilding and modernizing a key section of the local power grid to strengthen reliability and reduce outages.
Work is expected to be completed by February 2026, pending final approvals.
Crews are building a new high-voltage power line between two substations in Middletown Township and Red Bank Borough, the company said. The line will serve as a backup source of electricity in case a customer’s main power line is out of service.
The company is also installing about a half-mile of power lines underground after crossing the Navesink River Bridge. It will also add a mile of stronger overhead lines on existing poles.
“We’re investing in Monmouth County’s energy future to help reduce outages, speed up restoration times and support the growth of our communities for years to come,” Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy‘s president of New Jersey, said in a statement.
Part of a bigger plan
First Energy said this work is part of a $1.6 million infrastructure investment in northern Monmouth County.
Overall, the company will replace more than 2.5 miles of power lines and poles to better handle storms. Crews are also installing advanced technology and new equipment to more quickly spot and resolve issues.
Additionally, a $36 million project will upgrade aging equipment along 76 miles of lines in Monmouth, Essex, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Morris counties. That work is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
FirstEnergy plans to invest $28 billion through its long-term investment program, Energize365, between 2025 and 2029.
In November, JCP&L announced a $108 million investment to bolster the local electric grid in Ocean County.
