By Jay Cook
In an anticipated move last week, one of the largest utility companies in New Jersey moved forward in proposing a highly-disputed transmission line project through Monmouth County.
On Aug. 9, Jersey Central Power and Light Company, which services 1.1 million New Jerseyans in 13 counties across the state, filed its petition for the Monmouth County Reliability Project to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
In a 671-page filing, the utility company outlined the benefits, construction and needs for the project, among other topics.
As it has been since the MCRP’s inception, the corridor chosen by JCP&L is a 10-mile stretch
along the NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Line commuter line right-of-way, traversing five municipalities. This 230-kV transmission line would commence in Aberdeen at the NJ Transit substation in place there, then would travel through Hazlet, Holmdel and Middletown, before ending at the Red Bank NJ Transit substation.
Near the midpoint of the project in Middletown, the line would come in and out of the JCP&L substation located at Taylor Lane, which is across from the Target shopping complex off of Route 35.
Improvements to three existing utility substations come with the MCRP, though they are not subject to approval from the BPU, according to the petition. The aforementioned Taylor Lane location falls into this category, and is set to receive roughly $4 million in upgrades.
In an anticipated move last week, one of the largest utility companies in New Jersey moved forward in proposing a highly-disputed transmission line project through Monmouth County.
On Aug. 9, Jersey Central Power and Light Company, which services 1.1 million New Jerseyans in 13 counties across the state, filed its petition for the Monmouth County Reliability Project to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
In a 671-page filing, the utility company outlined the benefits, construction and needs for the project, among other topics.
As it has been since the MCRP’s inception, the corridor chosen by JCP&L is a 10-mile stretch
along the NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Line commuter line right-of-way, traversing five municipalities. This 230-kV transmission line would commence in Aberdeen at the NJ Transit substation in place there, then would travel through Hazlet, Holmdel and Middletown, before ending at the Red Bank NJ Transit substation.
Near the midpoint of the project in Middletown, the line would come in and out of the JCP&L substation located at Taylor Lane, which is across from the Target shopping complex off of Route 35.
Improvements to three existing utility substations come with the MCRP, though they are not subject to approval from the BPU, according to the petition. The aforementioned Taylor Lane location falls into this category, and is set to receive roughly $4 million in upgrades.
While the corridor chosen has not changed, the initial price tag provided by JCP&L has significantly grown. In preliminary letters affected homeowners received around Labor Day weekend, the cost was set at $75 million. In the petition, JCP&L states that this number has grown to $111 million.
“The engineering process was refined; more specific engineering and design of the project,” said company spokesman Ron Morano in a phone conversation Tuesday, on why there was a $36 million increase in cost.
Another hot topic posed by concerned residents from the five municipalities was the route selection process, which JCP&L covers in the filing.
With specific criteria provided by The Louis Berger Group, Inc., in their Route Selection Study Report, 13 of the 17 potential corridors were outright taken off the table. Other than the chosen corridor, which was corridor B in the petition, three other choices were seriously considered, all ending in Red Bank.
Another hot topic posed by concerned residents from the five municipalities was the route selection process, which JCP&L covers in the filing.
With specific criteria provided by The Louis Berger Group, Inc., in their Route Selection Study Report, 13 of the 17 potential corridors were outright taken off the table. Other than the chosen corridor, which was corridor B in the petition, three other choices were seriously considered, all ending in Red Bank.
These ranged from traveling down Route 35 for approximately 9 miles after stemming off the Aberdeen NJ Transit substation; taking power from the Raritan River – Atlantic transmission line in Colts Neck along County Road 520 for about 5 miles; and taking power from the same line in Colts Neck, yet traveling mostly up Flock Road/ Phalanx Road for just over 4 miles then into Red Bank.
Despite the fact that JCP&L has released the considered corridors, a local group opposing the project, Residents Against Giant Electric (RAGE) say they are calling the utility company’s bluff.
“JCP&L stated they would include the 16 alternate routes, but those routes were not fully explored in terms of all costs,” said RAGE spokeswoman Judy Musa, in an email to The Two River Times Tuesday. “JCP&L didn’t take the time or effort to fully evaluate the options that they knew they didn’t want to really consider. They chose the path of least resistance, where they could use a ROW (right of way) and negotiate a lease with NJ Transit, circumventing local jurisdictions.”
Also considered a major issue by local residents were the monopole structures used to support the 230-kV transmission line. In the petition, which splits the MCRP into 14 segments through the five towns, the number of monopoles and their heights are released. According to Morano, approximately 110 monopoles are currently in the petition, yet the MCRP is still in its engineering phase.
Despite the fact that JCP&L has released the considered corridors, a local group opposing the project, Residents Against Giant Electric (RAGE) say they are calling the utility company’s bluff.
“JCP&L stated they would include the 16 alternate routes, but those routes were not fully explored in terms of all costs,” said RAGE spokeswoman Judy Musa, in an email to The Two River Times Tuesday. “JCP&L didn’t take the time or effort to fully evaluate the options that they knew they didn’t want to really consider. They chose the path of least resistance, where they could use a ROW (right of way) and negotiate a lease with NJ Transit, circumventing local jurisdictions.”
Also considered a major issue by local residents were the monopole structures used to support the 230-kV transmission line. In the petition, which splits the MCRP into 14 segments through the five towns, the number of monopoles and their heights are released. According to Morano, approximately 110 monopoles are currently in the petition, yet the MCRP is still in its engineering phase.
The most common range of monopole heights in the 14 segments are 130 to 170 feet tall, which appear in four sections. Segment 13, which includes a roughly 1,700 foot crossing of the Navesink River, has the tallest monopoles proposed; heights would range from 190 to 210 feet tall in this area.
While this is the latest occurrence regarding the MCRP, Morano says much more still has to happen. “Well, the next step is that the board will set a preceding,” he said. “The board will assign a judge, also an administrative law judge, and set a preceding schedule.”
Currently, no date is set for the BPU hearing on the MCRP.
While this is the latest occurrence regarding the MCRP, Morano says much more still has to happen. “Well, the next step is that the board will set a preceding,” he said. “The board will assign a judge, also an administrative law judge, and set a preceding schedule.”
Currently, no date is set for the BPU hearing on the MCRP.
“We were not surprised they filed,” said Musa. “They told us they would; it was a matter of when. Now that they have, we have more answers to questions that they wouldn’t answer before.”
