Montgomery planning board approves PSE&G Trent Place substation with conditions

The Montgomery Township Planning Board on Aug. 10 approved PSE&G's application to build a new Trent Place 69-to-13 kV substation at 151 Trent Place, concluding the project meets the township's conditional-use criteria and can proceed subject to plan revisions and outside-agency approvals.

Applicant witnesses described the project to the board and public: PSE&G project manager Neil Pieszczalla said the new station is intended to relieve overloads at nearby substations and increase capacity for electric-vehicle growth and solar interconnection. "Once constructed, the proposed station will help satisfy the growing electric energy requirements based on EV growth," Pieszczalla testified. Board professionals and the applicant agreed that outstanding plan legibility items, sign locations and security-camera details would be resolved during the resolution-compliance process.

Planner James Higgins told the board the site is in the limited manufacturing zone, where public utility use is conditionally permitted, and that the application meets the six conditions required by the Montgomery ordinance. Higgins also explained variances are needed for several at-grade accessory features and a retaining wall driven by site topography and wetlands constraints. The board's approval was made "subject to PSE&G complying with the comments in the review memos," the record shows.

In the roll call following a motion to approve, the board voted unanimously in favor. The approval includes conditions requiring the applicant to address consultant comments, pursue pending NJDEP and other outside-agency approvals, and provide final construction details during the compliance phase. Applicant counsel noted construction is tentatively planned to start in June 2027 and last about 2.5 years.