PARSIPPANY — Councilwomen Janice McCarthy and Emily Peterson commended their colleagues on the Township Council for unanimously passing resolution R2020-180, urging Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) to take action following recent failures resulting from Tropical Storm Isaias or forego any proposed utility rate increase.
With Parsippany consistently left out in the dark with no electricity following inclement weather, it has become readily apparent that some serious thinking needs to be done regarding upgrades for our aging electrical infrastructure. First Energy, the parent company of JCP&L, continues to take in millions of dollars in profit every year yet consistently fails to make any meaningful upgrades to prevent long-term outages like the ones faced in the aftermath of this most recent storm. To make things worse, JCP&L is asking for permission from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to raise utility rates while our residents are struggling to make ends meet. Resolution R2020-180 calls on the NJBPU to reject any utility rate increase this year unless a serious commitment is made by JCP&L to prevent a situation like this from occurring in the future.
Councilwoman Janice McCarthy said, “None of our residents should have to wait weeks or even days to have their power restored, especially during a serious pandemic that is forcing many of us to stay at home. Our resolution will make it clear that residents have had enough dealing with these issues storm after storm and the need for JCP&L to do what is right.” Councilwoman Emily Peterson added, “The frequency and consistency with which Parsippany experiences power outages is not limited to major storms or weather events. It’s important that in calm winds, we take the opportunity to investigate and repair the issues that are too often the cause of outages when a major event happens. We are asking for those infrastructure analyses to be done and system improvement to be made.”
