Power Grid Upgrades Underway to Benefit 4,500 JCP&L Customers in Sussex County

HOLMDEL, N.J., Jan. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is upgrading a northern New Jersey transmission substation to better enhance reliability for customers in Sussex County. The project in Franklin Borough is expected to cost $50.3 million and take approximately 18 months to complete.

Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's President, New Jersey: "The extensive work happening both inside and outside the fence of our substation in Franklin is designed to enhance the reliability and resiliency of the backbone of our electric grid. Once complete, this project will help us deliver the safe, reliable electricity our customers expect."

The upgrades include:

• Reconfiguring the substation to allow for more redundancy and flexibility.
• Installing new electrical equipment and a new control enclosure.
• Replacing an aging transformer and adding a third transformer to enhance planning and operational flexibility and accommodate existing and future customer demand in the area.
• Installing four steel monopoles outside of the substation, replacing four wooden utility poles and one lattice tower, to allow for the reconfiguration of two high-voltage power lines that will provide backup service if customers' primary lines are out of service.

Approximately 4,500 JCP&L customers in Franklin Borough, Hamburg Borough, Hardyston, Ogdensburg and Sparta are served by the substation in Franklin and stand to benefit from the project.

This work is part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's grid evolution program focused on investing $26 billion between 2024 and 2028 across its six-state footprint to create a smarter, more secure grid that that delivers the power customers depend on today while also meeting the challenges of tomorrow.

JCP&L serves 1.1 million customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Follow JCP&L on X @JCP_L, on Facebook at facebook.com/JCPandL or online at jcp-l.com.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on X @FirstEnergyCorp or online at firstenergycorp.com.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.