PSE&G to Hold Public Info Sessions on Powerline Project

PSE&G, known as “New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility” -- is set to hold public information sessions regarding its North Central Reliability Project over the next couple of weeks throughout various parts of northern and central New Jersey. The project is to be submitted for the approval of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in May of this year.

According to Deann Muzikar, a Media Relations representative with PSE&G, evolving technology has made the upgrades necessary.

“The purpose of the North Central Reliability Project is to ensure reliable electric power for New Jersey businesses and residents, provide better power quality, and reduce transmission system congestion in the region," said Muzikar. “The project is necessary because people are using more electricity to power everything from big-screen televisions to computers and the latest kitchen gadgets. The existing transmission system in the project area, some of which dates back to the 1920s, was built before the popularity of computers, large televisions, iPods, cellular phones and other electric devices that have become common in our lives. Population trends indicate continued growth in the region.”

In a press release to announce the project’s purpose, as well as the dates of the public informational sessions, PSE&G states that the project, if approved, “would upgrade existing PSE&G transmission lines and stations” over a 35-mile stretch from Roseland to Woodbridge—a stretch that includes the towns of Berkeley Heights and Mountainside. The project would replace 138,000 volt transmission lines with newer, larger 238,000 volt lines across the area.

The public sessions, according to Muzikar, will be essential toward keeping an open dialogue with the public throughout the approval process.

“Our goal is to communicate with the public about why this project is necessary, as well as why it is important in ensuring that they continue to have the safe, reliable electric power they have come to expect," said Muzikar. “The public workshops will provide an array of information for the public to learn more about the project and ask questions specific to their towns and properties.”

Some members of the public are protesting this and similar projects over aesthetic  and property value concerns.

One group, the Stop the Lines initiative, has acted in opposition to a similar PSE&G project titled the Susquehanna-Roseland Powerline Project, which stretches from the town of Berwyck, Pennsylvania to Roseland.

“PSE&G told us on the western portion of this line that we were gonna have these big tall monopoles," said Dave Slaperud, the head of the Stop the Lines Initiative. “Toward the end of the BPU hearings, they heard from the designer that there was too much weight and they were not gonna use monopoles. If this project gets approved, we’re gonna be stuck with huge lattice structures.”

Slaperud also remains skeptical of the actual necessity for bigger structures, when Demand Response companies like EnerNOC are paying large energy users mass amounts of money to conserve energy during peak energy consumption times, such as the summer.

“What a lot of big energy users do will agree to curtail their use, and instead of PSE&G or someone having to turn on one of these power plants, instead they’ll just have these big users cut back energy use," said Slaperud. “In return, the user saves money and gets paid an incentive, because energy is so expensive at that moment. That’s been growing incredibly over the past two years. We think that Demand Response programs basically eliminate the need for additional power.”

PSE&G’s public workshops on the North Central Reliability Project will be held at the following locations:

• Mayfair Farms, 481 Eagle Rock Avenue, West Orange (March 22)
• Renaissance Woodbridge, Route 1, Iselin (March 24)
• The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown (March 28)
• L’Affaire Fine Catering, 1099 US Highway 22, Mountainside (March 31)

All public workshops will take place on their respective days from 4-8 PM.