PSE&G Reports 50% Reliability Improvement on 20 Upgraded New Jersey Circuits
PSE&G says replacement of nearly 22,000 utility poles and other distribution-grid upgrades have produced measurable reliability gains across New Jersey, including a 50% improvement on 20 circuits with the most pole replacements.
Published · 3 min read
Public Service Electric & Gas reported on August 28 that PSE&G grid reliability improved significantly on several upgraded circuits across New Jersey as the utility replaced poles, strengthened overhead distribution infrastructure and added higher-capacity stations. The results matter because they provide early performance measurements from investments intended to reduce outages while preparing the distribution system for severe weather and growing electricity demand.
PSE&G said nearly 22,000 utility poles were proactively replaced between 2023 and July 2026, with the 20 circuits receiving the largest number of pole replacements showing a 50% reliability improvement compared with their 2020-2024 average. The utility also reported 22% fewer outage incidents and 23% fewer customers affected on average on circuits upgraded through its Infrastructure Advancement Program.
The latest figures cover several types of grid upgrades
In its August 28 reliability update, PSE&G said 32 circuits strengthened with overhead infrastructure are now 37% more resilient and 31% more reliable according to its measurements.
The company did not attribute all of those improvements to pole replacement alone. Distribution reliability is affected by multiple variables, including equipment condition, vegetation, weather exposure, protection systems, circuit configuration and the frequency and severity of disruptive events.
The new results nevertheless provide a more measurable view of the utility’s modernization work than construction totals alone. Microgrid Media recently covered a similar shift toward proactive infrastructure hardening through Entergy Louisiana’s $270 million Jefferson Parish grid-hardening program, where stronger poles and other system upgrades are being installed before future major storms rather than only after infrastructure fails.
Six higher-capacity stations have been completed since 2023
PSE&G also said it has completed six new high-capacity 13 kV stations since 2023. The utility says those installations are intended to relieve system overloads, replace aging equipment and create additional capacity for changing customer demand, including greater solar generation.
That work is part of the company’s broader Infrastructure Advancement Program, a four-year effort expected to involve approximately $511 million of investment. The program includes circuit modernization, substation work and $234 million of so-called last-mile improvements focused on neighborhood distribution infrastructure.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved the program in 2022. A subsequent PSE&G regulatory notice states that the approved $511 million framework included $351 million under the Infrastructure Advancement Program rate mechanism and another $160 million in stipulated base investment.
Grid modernization is increasingly tied to distributed energy
The reliability work is not occurring separately from New Jersey’s distributed-energy plans. PSE&G says its last-mile investments are also intended to prepare local circuits for electric vehicles and greater deployment of renewable resources.
That relationship became more visible this month when the utility introduced its GridSmart home-battery pilot. Microgrid Media reported that the PSE&G residential virtual power plant program will provide qualifying customers with a $5,000 battery incentive while allowing enrolled systems to respond during scheduled peak-demand events.
Programs like that depend on more than customer-owned batteries. Utilities also need distribution infrastructure capable of accommodating two-way power flows, changing peak loads and increasing numbers of controllable resources at the grid edge.
The utility is emphasizing severe-weather performance
PSE&G released the statistics as the Atlantic hurricane season moves through its historical peak period. The company framed the results as evidence that infrastructure upgrades are strengthening preparedness for severe weather.
The distinction between reliability and resilience is important. Reliability generally describes how frequently and for how long customers lose service under normal and abnormal conditions. Resilience focuses more heavily on the system’s ability to withstand, adapt to and recover from unusually disruptive events.
PSE&G’s latest figures cover both concepts, but they remain company-reported performance statistics rather than an independent audit of the entire distribution system.
What happens next
The clearest test of PSE&G grid reliability will be whether the improvements persist as more circuits are upgraded and the system encounters future storms, load growth and distributed-energy additions.
The utility’s current figures apply to particular sets of upgraded circuits and should not be interpreted as a 50% reliability improvement across PSE&G’s entire New Jersey service territory.
Continued reporting of outage frequency, customers affected and performance before and after infrastructure upgrades will make it possible to judge whether the capital program is delivering durable systemwide benefits rather than isolated improvements.
Jonas Muthoni is Editor-in-Chief of Microgrid Media, where he oversees reporting and analysis on microgrids, energy storage, distributed energy resources, data center power demand, grid modernization, resilience, renewable energy, and electricity policy and markets. His work focuses on the infrastructure, technologies, and regulatory developments reshaping the power system.
As Editor-in-Chief, Jonas leads Microgrid Media’s editorial strategy and standards, including story selection, source verification, technical accuracy, and the development of original reporting and analysis. His coverage draws on regulatory filings, government records, utility and company disclosures, technical documentation, and independent industry sources to explain significant developments across the evolving energy system.
