Manchester Power Outage: NJ Legislators Seek Answers for Residents
Manchester Power Outage: NJ Legislators Seek Answers for Residents
Manchester Power Outage: Legislators Seek Answers for Residents
A coalition of state legislators is urging the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to take decisive action in response to a significant power outage in Manchester Township that occurred just prior to Christmas, impacting thousands of residents.
In a correspondence addressed to the BPU on December 24, state Senator Carmen Amato, along with Assemblymen Brian Rumpf and Greg Myhre from the 9th District, described the Jersey Central Power and Light outage, which persisted from December 23 to December 24, as an "unacceptable situation." The letter emphasized that "the widespread power outages have had extensive repercussions for the residents of the township, particularly those residing in senior communities."Over 5,000 residences and commercial establishments experienced power outages, resulting in numerous elderly individuals lacking heating on a day when temperatures began in the teens and remained in the low to mid-20s.
Officials in Manchester Township established warming centers and subsequently converted Manchester Township High School into an overnight shelter.Manchester Police transported residents to shelters and conducted welfare checks to confirm that no individuals were at risk from the cold or from medical equipment that required electricity.
Power was not completely restored until Tuesday morning, leading to numerous complaints from the residents.The correspondence from Amato, Rumpf, and Myhre expressed concern regarding the duration required to restore power, as well as the circumstances surrounding the occurrence of such a significant outage, particularly in proximity to the holiday season.
The legislators emphasized that ratepayers, who are frequently subjected to rate hikes by utility companies, are entitled to improved service and clear explanations regarding the reasons behind this power outage. In June, JCP&L implemented an 8.6 percent rate increase, sanctioned by the BPU, which led to complaints as the increase coincided with a heat wave that resulted in elevated air conditioning usage.
