PSE&G Officials Refute Energy Lobbyist Letter

Utility says costs for electric, gas customers will drop — not spike — under proposed plan.

Public Service Electric & Gas officials Wednesday refuted accusations contained in a letter from five of the state’s most prominent lobbying groups Tuesday to the state Board of Public Utilities concerning its plan to spend nearly $4 billion to strengthen its power grid. The company, which services Hoboken, says the plan will prevent widespread outages during major storms like last fall’s Super Storm Sandy. However, the lobbying groups disagreed, telling the board the proposed plan would spike utility bills for both residential and industrial customers. The lobbying groups included AARP, New Jersey Citizen Action, the Chemistry Industry Council of New Jersey, the New Jersey Large Energy Users Coalition, and NJ Public Interest Research …

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Powerful NJ Lobbies Oppose $4B PSE&G Grid Upgrade Plan

The utility disputes a claim that projects will substantially increase bills for residential and industrial customers.

Public Service Electric & Gas is facing mounting opposition to its plan to spend nearly $4 billion to harden its power grid to prevent widespread outages during major storms. In a letter sent late yesterday afternoon to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, five of the state’s most prominent lobbying organizations urged the agency to reject out of hand or delay indefinitely PSE&G’s proposal, submitted to the agency in February. They said it would spike utility bills for both residential and industrial customers. Do you support PSE&G's plan? Click here to take part in a Patch readers' poll and make your voice heard. The concerns raised by the groups underscore how difficult it will be for the agency and the state’s utilities to …

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Few Hundred Hobokenites Still Without Heat

Mayor Dawn Zimmer said on Tuesday afternoon that 130 premises were still without gas in Hoboken.

While the vast majority of Hoboken has power and heat, there are a few hundred residents who are still without gas, said Mayor Dawn Zimmer on Tuesday afternoon. According to the latest report from PSE&G, Zimmer said, 130 premises are still wihout gas. "A couple of hundred of people are without heat," Zimmer said. "There is still a need for community support." While the mayor couldn't be more specific about in which area these premises are, she said it's likely the affected buildings are in flood prone areas. The state is sending additional inspectors to Hoboken to relieve the issue, Zimmer said. Landlords are required to take the necessary steps to turn on gas in their buildings. If they don't comply, the city will fine them $1,000 a day. …

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Landlords Could see Steep Fines if Post-Sandy Repairs Aren't Made

The city announced that landlords are required to make repairs necessary to turn power and heat back on.

The city of Hoboken posted on its Facebook page that landlords who are not making necessary repairs to restore heat and power can face $1,000 a day in fines. On its Facebook page, the city announced: Landlords are responsible for restoring power, heat and making repairs. If they do not make repairs, the City will issue fines of $1,000 per day. If you have an unresponsive landlord, please contact the following three city offices which have jurisdiction over such matters: Health Division: 201-420-2047 Construction Office: 201-420-2066 Housing Inspection: 201-420-2041 Last week, after most of the city was lit up and powered, about 40 buildings were still without power and heat. PSE&G has shut off the gas in multiple places, a safety measure. …

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Hobokenites Without Power Losing Their Patience; Multiple Buildings Still Without Electricity

While the vast majority of Hoboken has been powered up again, roughly 40 buildings in town remain powerless and cold. Let us know if you're still without power.

For some people, it's getting to be too much. While close to 90 percent of Hoboken has working electricity, a few thousand Hobokenites remain powerless. And they're growing more frustrated by the day. Hoboken's three substations were fixed on Sunday night, which helped the majority of the town restore power. If power is still out, the problem could be in the building itself or with the wires connecting the building to the substations. PSE&G has shut off gas in multiple buildings before power can be restored as a safety measure. This means that many people are also without heat and the ability to cook. At 450 Fifth St., resident Steve LaMarca, 24, has been without power since Sandy hit Hoboken. He said he hasn't been able to reach the …

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Journey

10:43 am on Wednesday, January 23, 2013

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Thousands of Hobokenites Remain Without Power

Mayor Dawn Zimmer estimated that about 15 percent of Hobokenites remained without power on Tuesday night.

Although the three substations that power up Hoboken have been repaired, a few thousand people in Hoboken remained in the dark on Tuesday night for the tenth straight night. The substations were powered up as of Monday night. Some buildings in Hoboken, however — roughly 50 buildings — were still unable to receive power. Hoboken's three substations all suffered damage during Superstorm Sandy. The salt water that flooded the stations also caused major corrosion. The power problems could be originated in the building itself, or it could be a problem with the wires to the building. Mayor Dawn Zimmer said she has been pushing PSE&G as well as the Department of Energy for help on those last buildings in town. The fact that thousands of …

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Power Restored in Hoboken

In total, power was out in Hoboken for roughly a week. If buildings are still without electricity, an electrician must come and solve the problem. The three substations in Hoboken have been repaired.

As of Monday night all three of Hoboken's substations were repaired, the city announced. If residents still don't have power, it may be caused by a problem in the building, Mayor Dawn Zimmer said during her daily update on Monday afternoon. The downtown substation at Marshall Street was the most damaged during superstorm Sandy, while it is also the oldest of the three substations. It also took longest to fix. “We’re working fast and furiously,” Zimmer said. “We are moving into trouble shooting mode.” Around 7 p.m. Executive Director of the Hoboken Housing Authority Carmelo Garcia said that power was restored in all of the HHA's developments. The city set up a phone line that residents can call in case there are still problems with the …

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Some Power Outages Reported in Hoboken due to Heavy Wind

Some outages were reported on Tuesday.