JCP&L Plans $108M Investment To Strengthen Ocean County Power System

JCP&L will spend $108 million through 2028 to boost Ocean County's electric grid. This increase is needed as the county gained about 30,000 residents between 2020 and 2024, U.S. Census data shows.

Businesses and developers have requested connections for more than 50 MW in the past year alone. Standard forecasting models didn't predict this surge.

"Ocean County is growing at a pace that traditional forecasting formulas can't keep up with," said Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's President, New Jersey, according to a news release. "We're taking a fresh approach to improving reliability now and meeting power demand for years to come."

The company will put $29 million into the New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project. This two-phase effort targets lines that have failed before in Lakehurst, Manchester, Berkeley, and Lacey townships.

Crews will install thicker wires and poles. They'll also add protective devices and automatic transfer equipment. Construction runs from 2026 to 2028.

Ocean County already saw $21 million in completed upgrades this year. Workers added two transformers and improved an existing one at a substation to push more electricity through the area. New power lines went up in Toms River, Jackson, and Lakewood.

Another $58 million in improvements will roll out through 2028 as part of EnergizeNJ. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved this three-and-a-half year infrastructure program in April 2025.

EnergizeNJ backs system resiliency. It also funds grid and substation modernization across New Jersey.