$27 Million Going to New Vehicles, JCP&L Says

More than $27 million in new vehicles is being invested by JCP&L, according to a news release.

The vehicles will be for line crews and "other front-line employees across its service territory," according to the release issued Dec. 20.

In total, 223 new vehicles are being purchased for the utility, more than half of which will be bucket and "digger derrick" trucks that will "help employees perform their field work efficiently while also protecting workers’ safety," according to the release. The addition of the new trucks brings the total number of vehicles in the JCP&L fleet to 1,350, according to the release.

“The new trucks contain advanced technology that includes enhanced hydraulics to better handle heavy materials and more robust lighting to help create a safer work area during night-time operations,” said JCP&L President Don Lynch in the release. “These new vehicles also are better for the environment since they are more fuel-efficient, some with near zero emissions.”

The new vehicles are part of a $110 million investment in vehicles being made by parent company FirstEnergy Corp., based in Ohio. FirstEnergy expects to acquire nearly 850 vehicles before the end of the year, according to the release.

This announcement comes on the heels of two public meetings—in Basking Ridge and Hopatcong—held by JCP&L regarding their Hurricane Sandy response. In both meetings, residents and public officials blasted the utility for a number of reasons, mostly citing poor communication during and immediately following the late October storm that knocked out power for hundreds of thousands in the region.