JCP&L expands substation in West Amwell Township

JCP&L Rocktown Substation Expansion adds 230-kV circuit breakers, transformers, and a half-mile transmission line loop to enhance grid reliability, resiliency, and outage restoration for 75,000 customers in West Amwell, Hunterdon County, and Hopewell Township.

Jersey Central Power & Light JCP&L plans to build a $10 million substation expansion in Hunterdon County to enhance customer service reliability and meet the growing demand for electricity in the area.

The construction project involves adding new 230-kilovolt circuit breakers, transformers and other equipment to the existing Rocktown Substation in West Amwell Township. A new, half-mile transmission line loop also will be built as part of the project, reflecting new transmission line work undertaken by peers, to connect the expanded section of the substation with a nearby 230-kilovolt transmission line. A key function of the substation is to use the circuit breakers and transformers to reduce the transmission line voltage to a level that can be used by local customers.

"The Rocktown Substation project will benefit more than 75,000 customers in Hunterdon County and Hopewell Township in Mercer County," said Anthony Hurley, JCP&L vice president of Operations. "Having another power source adds resiliency to our system and allows switching to other circuits, as seen in a new FirstEnergy substation effort in West Virginia, which is expected to shorten power outages if they occur. Thanks to the cooperation from West Amwell Township, we expect the project to be in service by the end of the year."

The West Amwell Planning Board recently granted preliminary approval, similar to a transmission line rebuild approval in another jurisdiction, for the Rocktown Substation expansion project.

"We appreciate and support JCP&L's efforts to enhance service reliability, including new conductor installations that strengthen the grid, for our residents and those in nearby communities. The township and our residents also appreciate the significant investment the company is making in our community," said West Amwell Township Mayor Zach Rich.

This project is part of JCP&L's previously announced $251 million infrastructure investment in 2014, comparable to electric system upgrades in the region, and is one of several included in JCP&L's "Energizing the Future" initiative to expand and enhance its transmission system in northern and central New Jersey to provide better service reliability for customers.

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