PSE&G Unveils 5-Year Proposal to Continue to Replace Aging Gas Infrastructure
March 2,2015
$320 million a year program to modernize 800 miles of cast iron and unprotected steel
Low gas supply prices make this the ideal time to upgrade system
(March 2, 2015 – Newark, N.J.) – Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest utility, announced a proposal to invest $1.6 billion over the next 5 years to proactively modernize its gas systems – supporting a safe, clean, reliable gas system well into the future. The utility requested the funding, about $320 million per year, in a filing with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
PSE&G’s Gas System Modernization Program would include replacing an average of approximately 160 miles of cast iron and unprotected steel gas mains, and about 11,000 unprotected steel service lines to homes and businesses per year, over five years.
The mains and service lines would be replaced with strong, durable plastic piping, which is much less likely to have leaks and release methane gas. The new elevated pressure systems also enable the installation of excess flow valves that automatically shut off gas flow if a service line is damaged, and better support the use of high-efficiency appliances.
“While our cast iron and unprotected steel gas pipes represent less than 30 percent of our infrastructure, they account for 80 percent of distribution systems leaks each year, excluding third-party damages,” said Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G president and COO. “The Gas System Modernization Program will provide our customers and the communities we serve with the environmental benefit of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and a positive impact on employment and the New Jersey economy.”
Pointing to lower gas bills, LaRossa said it makes sense to make these added investments now.
Since 2008, residential gas heating bills are down 44 percent because of the lower cost of natural gas supply. “We are in a time of unprecedented low interest rates and natural gas prices,” LaRossa said. “The timing is right to make these infrastructure investments.”
The Gas System Modernization Program would support more than 500 direct jobs to help boost New Jersey’s economy. “A number of labor and business leaders have already expressed support for our proposal,” said LaRossa. “They know that these are important investments for New Jersey.”
The Gas System Modernization Program is a next step in a series of modernization programs, including PSE&G’s ongoing Energy Strong work that is focused largely on building the resiliency into its systems required to withstand the kind of severe weather that has devastated our state over the past five years. Approved last year, the $1.22 billion Energy Strong program includes raising, relocating and protecting electrical switching and substations, and replacing 250 miles of low-pressure cast iron gas mains in or near flood areas.
“We operate and maintain more than 17,000 miles of gas distribution mains that transport natural gas to 1.87 million customers in the most densely populated parts of our state,” LaRossa said. ”We’ve been providing safe, reliable gas service to customers in New Jersey for more than 100 years, and believe strongly that now is the right time to modernize our infrastructure.”
That’s five years of extra duty work that could be done by specials
Specials get paid also.
Do they also get $89 per hour to sit on their ass in the taxpayer owned squad car instead of directing traffic ?
If they were directing traffic that would be one thing. But they simply close a lane, and “cone off” a detour. Then sit inside a police squad car doing nothing.
Waste of ratepayer money. Just buy more cones.
Taxpayers are not payingThey get paid from PSE&G and the town get their cut also. Get fact straight. Cop hater.
Hey PJ it look like DEPUTY MAYOR ALBERT PUCCIARELL is posting again. He dislikes cops but has no problem with his double dipping retired cop friend.
They NEED to start at the corner of E. Ridgewood and Walthery. . . the natural gas odor coming up from the sewer vents almost knocks me over. Monday was horrible. And this has been going on for 20 years with no resolution. The neighbors call, PSE& comes out, they poke around, it still smells like natural gas. Somethings going to blow up over there.
Are you people ever satisfied with anything or is this all you do is bitch,bitch,bitch.
The taxpayer still foots the bill regardless of whether the cost comes from the PD or PSE&G.
7:24. Cops are paid to DIRECT traffic. Sitting on their ass, wearing out village owned squad cars prematurely does nothing for traffic safety, putting comes out and making a detour shows that their presence is unnecessary . PSEG passes along these excessive costs the the ratepayers. Apparently too simple for a simpleton like you to understand. Stop calling everyone a cop hater who exposes this waste of money. Are you going to replace the police cars that wear out prematurely from idling for 8 hours while you sit inside texting and making $89 per hour? And stop telling us what a good deal it is for the town. It’s not.
I have seen the new squad cars being used for the pseg jobs. One of the repetitive cop posters used to say it was only the old squad cars being used for this purpose . I guess another line of BS,
The squad car they sit in and its insurance and fuel are paid for by taxpayers. The cellphone they sit playing on and calling their friends on is also on taxpayer expanse. Their pension and health care are heavily subsidized by taxpayers as well. and if there are so many cops available for extra duty work, why are we paying so much OT to the RPD? And why are rate payers paying so much to PSE&G?
Cops are tax payer haters. The fact they so vehemently defend the extra duty work also suggest it is nothing more than a contractual boondoggle. Roberta, end extra duty work for anyone but specials !!
The union will never allow specials . I find it interesting that our volunteer special operations people can be used to direct traffic, especially in crappy weather like during hurricanes, floods, etc, so the full time cops can stay warm inside the squad cars.
So it’s only fair that these dedicated volunteers bee offered these $89 per hour pseg jobs first,
It always comes down to the unions blocking any idea that would help out taxpayers and PSE&G rate payers… their full-time union labor lawyers are STILL trying to find ways to squeeze more blood from tax payers. They are nothing more than vampire squids, hell bent on screwing us to benefit their members and increase union dues.
it’s obvious – if the unions won’t allow specials, and the cops constantly defend the extra duty work – then it’s bad for Village tax payers and Verizon and PSE&G rate payers. The new CBA should be upon us, so stand your ground Roberta, fight back for taxpayers against those full-time union lawyer thugs.