Anatomy of an Outage: Graphic Shows JCP&L Power Restoration Process

It’s a question just about everyone who loses electricity says to themselves or their utility provider: “Why hasn’t my power come back on?”

Understanding the process by which electrical providers restore service after an outage is a good first step in answering that question. While outages are inconvenient – especially for days, or even weeks at a time as northern New Jersey residents have experience in recent years – the process by which restoration is completed is essentially broken down into six steps.

The graphic shown in this article, provided by Jersey Central Power & Light, explains the order as:

• Isolating and making the area of the outage safe as well as assessing any damage.
• Repairing high-voltage lines and restoring essential functions
• Restoring hospitals and critical facilities
• Repairing main feeder and distribution lines
• Restoring areas with the largest number of customers
• Restoring individual homes

Shedding light on the process may be of help to many who are stuck in the dark during the next widespread outage.