Business & Tech

JCP&L Begins $24M Tree-Trimming Effort

Utility crews will clear wayward branches from 3,400 miles of lines in 13 counties.

To continue decreasing the chances of power outages and the duration of time an outage lasts, Jersey Central Power & Light has begun its tree-trimming process for 2014.

The effort will take place along 3,400 miles of power lines in JCP&L’s 13-county service area in northern and central New Jersey at a cost of $24 million, the company said in a statement.

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“As a result of the tree trimming we have done in the past, outages from trees and limbs falling into our lines have decreased, even with the significant number of storms we have experienced this winter,” said Anthony Hurley, JCP&L vice president of Operations in a statement. “In fact, our system average duration for outages was more than 12 percent better than the same period last year. By continuing this successful program, our goal is to improve service reliability even more by protecting our wires and other infrastructure from tree-related damage.”

The utility provider will use Aspen Tree Service; Asplundh Tree Expert Company; Davey Tree Expert Company; Jaflo Inc.; and Lewis Tree Service, Inc. for the work.

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Sixty municipalities in New Jersey will see crews working in their towns. They include:

• Burlington – Pemberton Township and Springfield Township  

• Hunterdon – Califon, Clinton Township, Glen Gardner, Lebanon and Readington Township

• Middlesex- East Brunswick, Monroe Township, Old Bridge, Sayreville and Spotswood 

• Mercer - Hightstown

• Monmouth – Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Howell, Long Branch, Manalapan, Red Bank, Shrewsbury and Tinton Falls

• Morris – Boonton, Boonton Township, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Long Hill Township, Mendham, Mendham Township, Montville Township, Mountain Lakes, Morristown, Parsippany, Randolph Township, Rockaway, Rockaway Township and Wharton

• Ocean – Point Pleasant

• Somerset – Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Far Hills and Warren Township

• Sussex – Andover, Andover Township, Hampton Township, Montague Township and Sandystown Township

• Union- Springfield and Summit

• Warren – Belvidere, Hackettstown, Phillipsburg, Stewartsville, Washington and Washington Township

The company said it will also educate residents who live near company equipment about how to properly maintain the trees on their property. 


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