BPU Schedules Hearing for PSE&G Upgrade Plans

Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on record about PSE&G's planned overhaul of transmission lines during a public meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at , 255 Lafayette Ave. in Chatham Township. 

The utility company announced their plans for the North Central Reliability Program in March. The program will upgrade the capacity of their transmission lines from 138,000 voltage to a 230,000 volt system in 15 municipalities across 35 miles of northern and central New Jersey, including Chatham Borough and Chatham Township.

The estimated $336 million project is expected to impact nearly one third of the state's population. In addition seven substations, including the Laurel Avenue Substation in Livingston, will be upgraded.

The hearing at Chatham High School is one of three scheduled in the coming weeks and will allow the public to comment on the record. The other two hearing dates are:

• Tuesday, Sept. 7:  Mayfair Farms, 481 Eagle Rock Ave., West Orange, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 22:  Sheraton Hotel, 125 Raritan Center Parkway, Edison, 7 p.m.

In late May, PSE&G formally submitted its application for the upgrades to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for approval. The Board of Public Utilities will meet on the above-listed dates to hear PSE&G's plans.

The new higher-capacity transmission lines will address the increasing energy needs of customers which have steadily risen over the years along the adoption of newer technology, such as televisions, computers and video game devices.

Recently, the need for electricity has shown little signs of slowing down and is expected to continue to trend upward, according to PSE&G president and COO Ralph LaRossa. "The demand for electricity in the region is expected to continue to grow over the long term, despite the current economic slowdown and conservation efforts," LaRossa said in a statement.

Portions of the system have been in service since the 1920s and are nearing the end of their useful life, according to the company. As a part of the transmission line overhaul current electrical towers will be replaced by monopoles that are roughly 35 feet taller in height.

In an interview with Patch in March, PSE&G spokesperson Deann Muzikar explained that all of the work associated with the upgrades will be conducted on or close to the company's existing right of way. "There will be no disruption in power service or traffic delays relating to the project," he said.

While the project is designed to help improve service for customers in the region, PSE&G officials also expect it to help create jobs locally and to help bolster the economy.

Provided that the Board of Public Utilities approves the application, work on the project is expected to begin in early 2012 with an in-service date of 2014.