JCP&L Meeting Explosive Growth with Multi-Pronged Ocean County Plan

Rhea-AI Summary

JCP&L (NYSE:FE) is investing $108 million through 2028 to strengthen the electric grid in rapidly growing Ocean County, New Jersey, aiming to improve reliability, speed outage restoration and meet rising demand.

Initial $21 million of 2025 upgrades add and upgrade transformers and replace stronger conductors; $29 million (2026–2028) targets reliability improvements in towns with outage histories; $58 million (through 2028) funds EnergizeNJ projects including >200 TripSaver devices, automatic transfer devices and substation modernization. These initiatives sit within FirstEnergy's Energize365 $28 billion 2025–2029 investment plan.

Positive

• $108 million total investment in Ocean County through 2028
• $21 million of upgrades scheduled for completion in 2025
• $29 million allocated to reliability improvements in 2026–2028
• $58 million for EnergizeNJ upgrades through 2028
• Installation of 200+ TripSaver automatic restoration devices
• Part of Energize365 $28 billion modernization plan (2025–2029)

Negative

• None.

Insights

Infrastructure Reliability Analyst

JCP&L commits $108 million through 2028 to strengthen Ocean County grid, prioritizing reliability and capacity for rapid growth.

The company will deploy an initial $21 million in 2025 for transformer additions and line hardening, then follow with $29 million for targeted reliability improvements and $58 million under EnergizeNJ. These measures—thicker conductors, additional automatic transfer and TripSaver devices, and substation modernization—directly increase local capacity and reduce outage scope and duration.

Key dependencies include timely project execution, permitting, and coordination with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (EnergizeNJ was approved in April 2025). Watch near-term completion of the $21 million 2025 upgrades, deployment of the 200+ TripSaver devices, and milestone spending through 2028. Expect these items to materially affect local reliability metrics once installed.

System improvements will help keep electricity reliable and meet growing need for power

HOLMDEL, N.J., Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) electric company, is investing $108 million through 2028 to bolster the electric grid in rapidly growing Ocean County, New Jersey. The company is making updates to the power system to make it more dependable, fix outages more quickly and provide enough electricity to keep pace with the county's surging energy demands.

Ocean County has seen its population increase by nearly 30,000 residents from 2020-2024, according to the U.S. Census estimates. In the past year, county businesses and developers have applied to JCP&L for more than 50 megawatts (MW) of new connections – enough to power approximately 50,000 homes.

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

More Power, System Upgrades in 2025

An initial $21 million in upgrades will be completed in Ocean County this year. Work includes adding two new transformers and upgrading an existing transformer at a local substation to provide more electricity for the area.

Some of the new electricity will power new homes and businesses. If there's a power outage, the increased power will also help JCP&L get customers' electricity back on more quickly by switching them to another line while the problem is fixed.

Along with adding more power, JCP&L is upgrading power lines to make them stronger, especially during bad weather. Area projects include:

• Lakewood: Replacing more than three miles of lines on South Hope Chapel Rd., Brook Rd. and Ocean Ave. with new, larger wire and adding extra underground wires in the Leisure Village community.
• Jackson: Upgrading to larger wire along South Hope Chapel Rd. and Brewers Bridge Rd. and adding a new line near Six Flags Great Adventure. This will help JCP&L quickly reroute power around trouble areas during an outage and reduce the number of customers affected. New devices will also be installed that can automatically transfer customers in the northeastern portion of town to unaffected lines during an outage.
• Toms River : Relocating existing equipment north of Route 37 to safer locations, helping prevent outages and allow faster repairs. Installation of devices that can automatically switch service to another line if there's a problem will make power more reliable for customers in the Leisure Village area, southwestern portion of town, Manchester and Lakehurst.

Additional Local Investments Through 2028

JCP&L will invest an additional $29 million in Ocean County from 2026 to 2028 as part of its New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project, a two-phase effort to enhance the reliability of lines with a history of outages. These investments will include thicker, stronger wires and poles and additional protective and automatic transfer devices in Lakehurst, Manchester, Berkeley and Lacey townships.

Another $58 million in Ocean County upgrades are planned through 2028 as part EnergizeNJ, JCP&L's three-and-a-half year infrastructure investment program. Approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in April 2025, EnergizeNJ supports system resiliency and grid and substation modernization. Planned work includes:

• Adding new power lines to reduce the number of customers affected by outages
• Installing more than 200 new "TripSaver" devices that can automatically restore power caused by temporary conditions (such as tree branches bouncing off lines)
• Adding more automatic transfer devices
• Modernizing substation equipment
• Replacing substation equipment at coastal substations susceptible to salt

Part of a Bigger Plan  

JCP&L's New Jersey Reliability Improvement Project and EnergizeNJ are part of Energize365, FirstEnergy's long-term investment program to modernize the electric grid. FirstEnergy plans to invest $28 billion through Energize365 between 2025 and 2029. The goal: a smarter, more secure grid that meets the needs of today's customers and tomorrow's growth.  

JCP&L serves 1.2 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 Corp. (NYSE: FE) 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.

FAQ

How much is JCP&L investing in Ocean County and over what timeframe (NYSE:FE)?

JCP&L is investing $108 million through 2028 in Ocean County grid upgrades.

What specific work will JCP&L complete in 2025 in Ocean County (FE)?

In 2025 JCP&L will complete $21 million of upgrades including adding two new transformers and upgrading another at a local substation and replacing key distribution lines.

What portion of the Ocean County plan is funded under EnergizeNJ for FE?

About $58 million of Ocean County upgrades through 2028 are planned under EnergizeNJ, including TripSaver devices and substation modernization.

How many TripSaver devices will be added in Ocean County as part of the FE plan?

JCP&L plans to install more than 200 TripSaver devices to help automatically restore power from temporary outages.

How does the Ocean County plan relate to FirstEnergy's broader investment program (FE)?

The Ocean County work is part of EnergizeNJ and contributes to FirstEnergy's broader Energize365 $28 billion grid modernization plan for 2025–2029.