Over seven days, electric and gas teams worked around the clock — restoring power, responding to service repair calls and supporting customers across New Jersey.
Originally published on PSEG ENERGIZE!
We know that losing power — especially during high heat — is difficult for customers and their families. Following a week of extreme weather that included a multi-day heat dome and winds in excess of 70 mph, we are grateful and thank customers for the patience they showed throughout one of the most devastating and extended storm events in our history.
For 250 years, Independence Day has been a time to recognize those who serve something larger than themselves. And when our customers need us, holidays don’t change our commitment to serving our communities. For some, the holiday meant barbecues and fireworks. For others, it meant storm damage and power outages. Our crews, mutual aid crews, customer service representatives, dispatchers, system operators and countless others worked together throughout the holiday to restore power, repair or replace air conditioners and respond to customers. Their focus was simple: helping customers stay safe, stay cool and stay connected during and after extreme weather conditions.
We are grateful for our customers and their patience and understanding in these difficult conditions of extended outages. We know that being without power for any length of time is difficult and safely restoring your power as soon as possible was at the heart of all our efforts this past week.”
–Kim Hanemann, President and Chief Operating Officer of PSE&G.
That’s what public service looks like. Showing up safely. Caring for our customers. Strengthening our communities. Every day of the year.
Holiday response by the numbers
The weekend’s back-to-back storms rank in our top ten most impactful storms in company history, with:
- More than 380,000 customer outages restored.
- 165 utility crews including PSE&G, contractors and mutual aid partners responding to support restoration efforts.
- More than 1,500 trees cleared by 170 tree crews so our electric crews could safely access damaged equipment and restore service.
- 7,000 air conditioning repairs made and 110 A/C replacement service calls completed.
- More than 10 million text and email messages sent to customers before and during the storm, including targeted messages to customers who were out.
- Record breaking temperatures and a heat dome across the region, with heat indices reaching up to 115° in some parts of the state.
Why does extreme heat put more pressure on the energy system?
When temperatures rise, so does demand for electricity as homes, businesses and critical facilities work harder to stay cool. This can put a strain on the system as well as equipment in your neighborhood.
We were prepared with fueled up trucks packed with extra supplies and additional crews on hand to support restoration efforts, ready to respond so customers could get back to normal as quickly as possible.
How do today’s projects help deliver tomorrow’s reliability?
Our ability to restore your service safely and as quickly as possible after back-to-back storms didn’t happen overnight.
It began years earlier through ongoing projects that strengthened the electric and gas systems serving New Jersey communities and have helped us remain one of the nation’s most reliable utility companies. Those projects include replacing aging equipment to improve system performance and restore service more efficiently when severe weather hits.
Thank you to the people who show up when it matters most
Most customers will never meet the people who spent their holiday weekend away from their own families.
What they will remember is returning home with family and friends to lights that were back on, a cool house waiting for them and the peace of mind that comes from knowing someone was there and didn’t quit until the job was done.
Those moments don’t happen by chance. They happen because thousands of dedicated employees put service ahead of celebration so customers could get back to normal.
To every member of our workforce, as well as our mutual aid crews who assisted in restoration efforts, thank you.
Their dedication reflects something larger than a day’s work. It reflects the responsibility that comes with serving the communities where we live and work.
We’re grateful to you, our customers, for reporting your outages, following our restoration updates and for the many thoughtful messages of support shared with our teams throughout these last couple of days. Thank you for the trust you place in us to power your lives and communities.
Whether it’s the Fourth of July during the height of a summer heat wave, a winter storm that leaves two feet of snow on the ground or an ordinary Tuesday, our commitment never wavers. We show up when our customers and communities need us most, working safely, responding and continuously strengthening the reliable energy system that powers New Jersey’s homes, businesses and critical services—today and for the future.
