Your Turn Guest Column Gov. James McGreevey JCP&L must take responsibility for Ocean County outages When customers pay for a service, they have the right to a basic expectation of reliable service and a quality product. Unfortunately, the residents and business owners of Ocean County received neither from Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) during this past Fourth of July weekend. The timing of the power outage could not have been worse. After a rainy start to the season, further hampered by a national economic slowdown, the July Fourth weekend was looked at by many as the time for Shore businesses to finally get back on their feet. Unfortunately, the power outages derailed this potential economic jump-start. The lost revenue from the power outage could be in the millions of dollars without considering the impact this had on the region’s reputation as a tourist destination. This is in addition to the immeasurable health and safety issues that arose as a consequence of an inability to operate air-conditioning for seniors, traffic signals at busy intersections, and modern medical equipment needed to save lives. Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with residents and business owners to hear firsthand their concerns about a history of power failures. What happened to residents and small businesses was simply unacceptable and steps must be taken to ensure that not only does it not happen again, but that there is an opportunity for individuals to seek remedies for their losses. This past Wednesday I met with the president of First Energy, the parent company of JCP&L, to demand answers for Shore area residents. During this meeting, I made clear that the actions of JCP&L and its failure to meet its obligation to our state is inexcusable and will not be tolerated. As a result of that meeting, I am pleased that several important steps have already been taken and more are on the way. The immediate priority is to ensure that this does not happen again and jeopardize another seasonal weekend. JCP&L has already completed repairs to three of the major power lines that supply the area and has committed to providing nine back-up generators to the barrier island. JCP&L has made a commitment to make substantial upgrades and improvements to the overhead transmission line that spans south from Point Pleasant at a cost of more than $1.1 million. An additional $60 million will be invested over the next two years above and beyond normal maintenance costs to improve the area’s power infrastructure. At my request, officials from JCP&L have agreed to establish a program that addresses damage claims by customers who were affected by the power outages. JCP&L has committed that customers will be treated fairly, reasonably and in a timely manner. The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) is already undertaking further investigation of JCP&L’s operating capacities to determine if there are any further potential weaknesses that could hinder future service. At my direction, the attorney general’s office has also begun an investigation and will be meeting with JCP&L officials next week. From talking with community leaders, I understand the communications system employed by JCP&L to notify customers of the outage did not adequately perform during the shutdown. We are already working to address this issue. At the present time, JCP&L has agreed to review its communications systems and contingency plans, and to make any necessary improvements to ensure customers are adequately informed in the future. What happened over the Fourth of July weekend should never have happened, and those affected by the outages have every reason to be upset about the substandard level of service. I share these same concerns and promise to work with area elected officials, residents and the BPU to bring answers to the region and substantive, long-term solutions to prevent this from happening again.