JCP&L President Calls Irene Damage “Unprecedented”

State regulators next week will examine how utilities responded during Irene

Jersey Central Power & Light's president says damage caused by Hurricane Irene in New Jersey was unprecedented.     

More than 750,000 of the 1.1 million homes and businesses served in the Garden State were without electricity at some point.

Donald Lynch told The Daily Record of Parsippany there were 21,000 reports of downed wires and 1,033 of the utility's 1,200 circuits were affected.     

Lynch says 4,000 workers replaced 47 miles of wire, 360 poles and 300 transformers.   

Lynch says JCP&L restored a majority of customers within 48 hours of Irene.

However, 30 percent remained without power after 48 hours and 17 percent weren't restored after 72 hours.     

Lynch says JCP&L fell short in getting information out to customers and municipalities.   

State regulators next week will examine how utilities responded during Irene. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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