Collum Pens Message To Residents Frustrated With Power Outages

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - Those who live on Newstead, Upper Wyoming and Lower Wyoming who are frustrated with power outages may be in luck if an infrastructure upgrade happens, according to South Orange Village President Sheena Collum.

Collum posted an appeal on social media for residents. The complete message is below:

Dear Newstead, Upper Wyoming and Lower Wyoming. I know you've experienced power outages more than anyone else in town and you're frustrated and rightfully so.

Here's what's up:

1) You're on a circuit called South Orange 4002. It's likely you may have other choice words for this circuit but let's keep it family-friendly.

2) We lose power, like everyone else - however, our power lines are in the backyards which aesthetically is beautiful for neighborhoods but also makes things more complicated when PSE&G is trying to restore power from outages caused by down trees/lines/etc. primarily in storm events. When lots of the region loses power, we are basically last in line for restoration because in other towns, those great bucket trucks can quickly fix lines from the street.

3) Do you remember that songs that connects all your bones? (I.e. the hip bone is connected to the... back bone, the back bones connected to the... shoulder bone). So power kind of works like that and if you have no idea of the song I'm referencing - just fuggedaboutit.

There is a substation, various circuits come out of a substation, the circuits bring power to your homes, and a fault can cause a circuit to open which disrupts the power going into your home. Still with me?

As it stands today, when there is a fault that opens a circuit, there is no way of knowing where the fault is. Thus, PSE&G comes out and needs to track it down. This delays power being restored because it's like playing "Where's Waldo".

But, good news. There is smart technology that can fix this (it's a recloser basically) and PSE&G wants to work with us to implement it.

Roughly a handful of properties will be minimally disrupted (we'll obviously need to speak to them to get easements) but basically the implementation of this project will make it so that faults are identified very quickly and in many instances, a several hour wait for power restoration can be done in a matter of minutes because the smart technology and infrastructure upgrade will automatically (not manually) close the circuit which will bring power to the people.

I'll give a more extensive update at the next board meeting but this will be an amazing and a welcomed infrastructure upgrade to our community and a strategic investment that will have positive outcomes for 900+ households.

Feel free to pass along.

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