Monday, April 1, 2013
Officials say delays are possible in the area and urge drivers to plan accordingly.
Beginning Monday, April 1 and continuing until Friday, April 5, a tree maintenance project will take place along Route 206 between Ewing Street and Herrontown Road. Each day between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Route 206 will be closed to car and light truck traffic. Large trucks will be held in a staging area on either end of the work area and allowed to pass at intervals. Detours will be posted directing both north and southbound traffic onto Mt Lucas Road. This work is being conducted in response to power outages that have affected thousands of residents during storms over the past year. The project is being conducted by Princeton in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and PSE&G.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The project is expected to be completed by end of the day on Monday, April 1.
Road work has resumed on Ewing Street, less than a week after the rupture of a pressurized gas line sparked an hours long fire, a fuel spill and evacuation of more than a half dozen homes. Crews from Top Line Construction are continuing the milling of Ewing Street and installing the base pavement. Work is beginning near North Harrison Street and heading towards Valley Road. Road work is being done between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., with the exception of Friday, March 29. Weather permitting, all work is expected to be completed by the end of the day on Monday April 1. Top Line Construction Co-owner Steve Castela said last week that a member of his crew accidentally hit the gas line because PSE&G did not mark the utility lines as required. PSE&…
To encourage and further public debate on this important issue, NJ Spotlight presents two opposing positions.
By Aaron Fischer, director of editorial operations for NJ Spotlight PSE&G's proposed $4 billion filing to upgrade and enhance the resiliency of its power and natural gas grids has sparked off more than something of a stir among state officials, lawmakers, customers, and businesses across the state. The utility argues that its Energy Strong program is a response to the flaws and shortcomings in its distribution systems revealed by Hurricane Sandy. While the Board of Public Utilities does not disagree with the purpose or need for the program, it has asked for a detailed cost-benefit analysis of all of its components. The Division of Rate Counsel, meanwhile, has raised a flag that New Jersey consumers will end up bearing an inordinate burden …
Sunday, March 24, 2013
State wants specifics about proposed storm-related upgrades and protections before giving go-ahead.
The state wants Public Service Electric & Gas to spend ratepayer money to modernize its electric and gas systems, but is not ready to write a blank check allowing the utility to spend $4 billion over the next decade to cover those costs. During its monthly meeting in Trenton, the state Board of Public Utilities said it wants a lot more information about the spending program filed last month by the state’s largest utility before acting on the proposal. Instead, the BPU approved a couple of separate proceedings to examine how utilities will recover costs from Hurricane Sandy and other storms, as well as what is needed to enact other expensive measures to prevent outages caused by extreme weather in the future. Opponents of the PSE&G …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Depending on the outcome of the inquiry, the board could levy fines and penalties.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will review all aspects of the gas leak and fire on Ewing Street in Princeton that evacuated half a dozen homes, led to diesel oil spill and closed local roads for hours, a spokesperson said on Thursday. "Board staff responded to the incident and will report back to the board on findings," NJBPU Director of Communications Greg Reinert said. That's standard procedure for utility accidents and gas leaks, Reinert said. A review will determine if the contractor requested utility markings, if the utility followed through, if the contractor followed rules and regulations, etc. There is no set timeline of when the review will be completed, Reinert said. Depending on the outcome of the inquiry, the …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Upgrades aimed at modernizing electricity grid after Sandy left widespread outages in the area.
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Saturday, February 23
By Tom Johnson, NJSpotlight.com Is it time to invest nearly $4 billion in ratepayer subsidies to help modernize the power grid to avert widespread outages from extreme weather, such as Hurricane Sandy? If the state’s largest utility gets its way, the answer is "Yes," at least according to a filing yesterday with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The proposal – courtesy of Public Service Electric & Gas -- is likely to kindle a fiery debate over how the state should respond to Sandy and at what cost to consumers. The filing comes at a time when the state’s utilities are under enormous pressure to reduce long outages caused by extreme weather, while the Christie administration is struggling to find ways to reduce energy bills, which…
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The scam has been reported across county and seems to be targeting Hispanic neighborhoods, but not exclusively.
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Thursday, February 14
PSE&G alerts customers of a new scam in which individuals misrepresenting themselves as PSE&G employees threaten to turn off electric and gas service if payment is not made that day. The scam has been reported across county and seems to be targeting Hispanic neighborhoods, PSE&G reports. Here is how the scam works: “We take very seriously any attempt to defraud our customers,” said Joseph Forline, vice president of customer solutions for PSE&G. “We are working closely with law enforcement to investigate these scams. In the meantime, we ask our customers to be wary of callers who demand immediate payment and threaten service termination. When in doubt, hang up and call PSE&G directly at the phone number listed on your bill.” If …
Saturday, December 8, 2012
If your electric service was out for weeks, you can vent at a series of statewide BPU hearings.
Much of New Jersey was spared the Hurricane Sandy storm surge that destroyed so much of the shore areas. But for those who missed that part of the hurricane, the next worst thing that happened was the loss of electric power. In some parts of the state, the power outages lasted for as long as two weeks. Now the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) wants to know what consumers think about how their local electric utilities handled the hurricane. The BPU seeks public input in a series of public forums throughout the state. Two hearings involving the performance of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) are scheduled. The first takes place on Monday, Dec. 10 from 4-7 pm at the William Annin School in Basking Ridge, and the second on …
Monday, November 12, 2012
Princeton officials believe everyone is back online, but will advocate on your behalf if not.
As of late Monday afternoon, Princeton officials believe all residents have elecricity restored. "As far as we know, everybody is back, although there may be some people who aren't and haven't contacted us," Princeton Township Engineer Robert Kiser said. There is one customer on Autumn Hill Lane who has "half power," meaning some outlets work and some don't. PSE&G is aware of that issue, Kiser said. "If anyone doesn't have power, please have them call the Engineering Department," Kiser said. The phone number is 609-921-7077. The information will be directly relayed to the PSE&G emergency storm center, Kiser said. Residents who know of telephone and/or cable TV outages should also call. Over the weekend, power was restored to …
Sunday, November 11, 2012
On Sunday night, PSE&G’s outage map showed all power had been restored in Princeton Borough, but between one and 500 customers still without power in Princeton Township.
While life in Princeton has been getting back to normal for many, pockets of residents have been without power since Hurricane Sandy hit and others were plunged into darkness following last week’s nor’easter. And while people understand the unprecedented storm damage that has left utility workers scrambling, they express concern about the lack of communication from PSE&G. “Eleven days and counting and still no electricity on the lower half of Wheatsheaf Lane,” resident Diane Landis wrote in an email. “We have a pole with a transformer dangling over the street and 31 residents still without power. Many of whom are still in their homes. “Wheatsheafers have called PSEG more than 70 times with different responses each time. We have chased …
Ira L. Marks
8:07 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013
I have learned through the years to not trust utilities as far as you can spit. more ›