JCP&L Begins $15 Million Electric Infrastructure Upgrade in Hunterdon County

Reconfigured power lines and modernized equipment provide greater reliability for customers in eight local communities.

Aug. 13, 2025

2 min read

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Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a FirstEnergy Corp. company, has started a $15.4 million project in Hunterdon County aimed at improving electric service reliability for more than 3,600 customers.

The project involves upgrades to overhead lines and substations, as well as the installation of underground wires in forested areas. Work will take place in Alexandria, Delaware, Flemington Borough, Franklin, Frenchtown Borough, Kingwood, Stockton Borough, and Union.

Electricity demand is increasing in areas served by JCP&L’s Baptistown and Rosemont substations. The company says the upgrades will provide greater resiliency and flexibility in serving customers.

Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's President of New Jersey, said, "As our local communities grow, they need more power to keep homes and businesses running. We're strengthening overhead power lines and putting some lines underground to help make sure our customers have power they can rely on – even during storms. The smart improvements mean safer, more dependable electricity for everyone."

The work in Hunterdon County includes:

Reconfiguring neighborhood lines (circuits) to improve reliability and allow temporary switching during outages.
Upgrading more than 20 miles of overhead lines and replacing 30 poles for increased capacity and storm resilience.
Installing nearly 3 miles of underground wires in wooded areas to reduce outages and speed repairs.
Adding equipment to reroute power during outages to limit the number of affected customers.
Installing TripSaver devices, which detect short-term power line issues and automatically restore service without requiring a crew visit.
Increasing tree trimming and vegetation management.

The upgrades are part of JCP&L's New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, a two-phase effort to address lines with a history of outages. The company plans to invest at least $95 million in the project over the next two years, with additional work continuing through 2028.

This initiative is included in FirstEnergy's Energize365 program, a $28 billion investment between 2025 and 2029 to modernize the electric grid.