New Jersey regulators are taking a closer look at how utilities handled widespread July power outages that left hundreds of thousands of residents without air conditioning during a dangerous heat wave.
Many households spent days without air conditioning as temperatures climbed above 100 in some parts of New Jersey.
What happened?
Roughly 850,000 customers lost power in the early July storms. Staff at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will now assess utilities' restoration work, customer updates, and storm preparation, the New Jersey Monitor reported, citing the New Jersey Utilities Association.
The outages came after severe thunderstorms over the Fourth of July weekend, with many of the hardest-hit areas located in PSE&G and Jersey Central Power & Light territory. Although most service was restored by July 10, some residents had already gone days without electricity in extreme heat.
Utility industry representatives said the weather event was unusually severe.
Richard Henning, president and CEO of the New Jersey Utilities Association, said to the Monitor, "These storms were a multi-day, multi-utility crisis that required massive mobilization, but the state's electric distribution companies' restoration teams, along with local, county and state emergency personnel, worked around the clock to restore power to over 800,000 customers in just six days."
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Even so, frustration among public officials has continued to build. Assemblyman Greg McGuckin said, "It's inexcusable to me that power stations are not adequately protected from a lightning storm when lightning storms are a common occurrence in the summer at the Jersey Shore."
Why does it matter?
When power goes out during triple-digit heat, residents feel the effects immediately. Refrigerated food can spoil, and older adults, children, and people with health conditions face heightened risks of heat-related illness.
The Monitor reported that McGuckin criticized the pattern of recurring summer outages, saying, "It's unacceptable that every summer we continue to end up like a third-world country every time there's a storm."
If reliability problems persist while costs keep rising, ratepayers can end up paying twice — first through poor service and then through higher monthly bills.
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What's being done?
Investigators will be looking at both preparation and follow-through as they make their assessment, according to the Monitor. The process could create a clearer public record of where planning, systems, or communications fell short.
Regulators are also stepping up pressure on JCP&L specifically. The board approved moving ahead with an order to show cause that could expose the utility to $44.1 million in penalties for missed reliability benchmarks from 2022 through 2024. Commissioner Christine Guhl-Sadovy, a former board president, will preside over that case.
The board also took another step toward new nuclear power plants, advancing procurement efforts as New Jersey tries to meet growing electricity demand. However, Commissioner Joseph Coviello warned, "It's going to be extremely expensive at the start, and it's only going to get more expensive."
"We expect utilities to be prepared, communicate effectively, and restore service safely and as quickly as possible," Board of Public Utilities President Ben Hertz-Shargel said. "When they fall short, the board will hold them accountable."
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