With summer around the corner, Atlantic City Electric has been performing essential work to ready the local energy grid to meet increased customer demand and keep homes and businesses powered all summer long for its 565,000 South Jersey customers.
The utility has been working to harden energy infrastructure against the growing impacts of more severe weather as a result of climate change.
“Our more than 630 dedicated Atlantic City Electric employees have been working alongside local contractors to ready the local energy grid against the impacts of summer storms, and this work will continue all summer, especially with another forecasted active hurricane season,” Atlantic City Electric Region President Doug Mokoid said. “The work we are doing is essential to helping ensure continued reliable service for our customers.”
Atlantic City Electric has recently completed several key projects to modernize the energy grid and enhance reliability for customers.
These projects include:
Atlantic City/Brigantine Community Reliability Project – Modernized an existing substation and rebuilt two critical transmission lines between Atlantic City and Brigantine to strengthen the local energy infrastructure against more extreme weather.
Atlantic to Ocean Counties Reliability Project – Rebuilt 15 miles of critical transmission line running through Port Republic, Bass River Township and Little Egg Harbor Township to improve reliability for thousands of customers.
Great Egg Harbor Crossing Reliability Project – Rebuilt transmission lines across the Great Egg Harbor River between Cape May and Atlantic counties to modernize and strengthen the local energy grid.
PowerAhead Grid Resiliency Initiative – Completed strategic reliability improvement projects across portions of the company’s service area to modernize and enhance energy infrastructure in areas that have experienced outages during severe storms.
In addition, the company has completed hundreds of tasks to prepare for the summer season, including system work, testing and drills to ensure it can provide seamless support and resources during a storm or emergency restoration effort.
Atlantic City Electric advises customers to be ready as well.
Here are some tips:
Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include battery-powered radio, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, medications, multi-purpose tool, and list of important/emergency phone numbers.
Have a supply of bottled water and easy-to-prepare, non-perishable foods available to last at least 72 hours.
Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.
Identify an alternate location for you and/or your family in case of an extended outage.
For a checklist of other items to include in your emergency kit, visit com/StormPrep.
If a severe storm hits, monitor local weather reports regularly and follow the advice of local emergency management officials.
Residents should stay away from downed wires and immediately report a downed wire or service issue by calling 800-833-7476, visiting atlanticcityelectric.com, or through the company’s mobile app. Customers can also report an outage by texting “OUT” to 20661. Customers must first text “ADD OUTAGE” to 20661 to sign up for this service.
