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JCP&L tells Knowlton about 2026 reliability projects; Tunnel Field offered as storm staging area
Summary
JCP&L presented planned reliability upgrades for 2026 including upgrades on Blairstown, Kittatinny and Pequest River circuits, transmission redundancy at Columbia Substation, and six local 'trip saver' devices; the utility offered Tunnel Field as a local storm staging site after residents and the fire chief raised outage and response‑time concerns.
Jersey Central Power & Light representatives briefed the Knowlton Township Committee on March 9 about a slate of infrastructure and reliability projects planned or underway in the township and surrounding districts.
Amy Overman, JCP&L regional external affairs representative, and Dave Roberts, line manager for the Washington District, described several initiatives: enhanced reliability work on the Blairstown Circuit in 2026 including pole and cross‑arm replacements and off‑cycle forestry; transmission‑line redundancy work tied to the Columbia Substation (targeted for completion by the end of 2026); a Kittatinny Circuit reliability project that is roughly 80 percent complete but is pending a railroad permit; and preventive maintenance scoping on the Pequest River Circuit with forestry scheduled on a regular cycle. JCP&L also plans to install six additional 'trip saver' devices at local locations (three near Route 46 on Ramseyburg Road, two on Knowlton Road, and one on Hainesburg River Road) intended to reduce the number and duration of outages.
Committee members and residents asked detailed questions about outage histories on Limekiln Road, a voltage regulator replacement on Centerville Road, streetlight coverage on Route 605, storm response timelines and tree‑clearing authority, and pole ownership. Fire Chief Gould raised concerns about extended response times for downed wires; Overman acknowledged the concern and encouraged direct contact for storm escalations. Mayor Debra Shipps told JCP&L that Tunnel Field has been offered as a staging area during storms to improve local response times.
What this means locally: the projects, if completed on schedule, aim to improve circuit redundancy and reduce the frequency and duration of outages in parts of Knowlton; however some work depends on third‑party permits and coordination (for example, a railroad permit for Kittatinny Circuit work and inter‑utility coordination for a transmission redundancy project). Residents seeking faster storm escalation were told to contact JCP&L directly, and the township committed to offer municipal space for local staging during large events.
Sources and next steps: JCP&L’s project list and the committee’s Q&A were recorded in the March 9 meeting minutes. Residents and officials flagged specific local locations for follow‑up (Limekiln Road, Centerville Road, Route 605). The committee and JCP&L staff discussed follow‑up coordination, including advance notice for staging or access needs during storms.
