The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has approved PSE&G's request to improve transmission lines so that the lines can meet demands expected in 2012. The 45-mile swath across New Jersey, known commonly as the Susquehanna-Roseland line, will result in towers nearly twice as high as existing structures.
CIANJ President John Galandak testified in favor of the improvement last year. From his remarks, as prepared,
New Jersey businesses will need a reliable source of electricity at a reasonable rate in order to sustain themselves and grow profits in the future. Each dollar spent on higher rates or time lost due to a brownout or blackout means fewer resources to hire employees, improve products and service customers. That is why CIANJ members find some of PJM’s findings so disturbing.As this panel is aware, PJM, an independent group tasked with ensuring grid reliability, warns that without this upgrade, the region risks brownouts and blackouts beginning as early as 2012. While the state legislature and governor have outlined goals for generating energy through renewable resources, the technology to provide a baseload does not yet exist. Furthermore, statute sets the goals for 2020, eight years after PJM warns of power disruptions to the region.
This is a well-planned and much-needed project. Cheers to the BPU for recognizing New Jersey's role in electric generation and transmission, and for helping ensure grid reliability.
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