New high-voltage line might end in Deans; new regional 500-kilovolt line part of power-grid expansion

By: Paul Koepp
   A new high-voltage power line aimed at meeting growing demand for electricity in Central Jersey could run through Monmouth Junction and Deans.
   The 500-kilovolt line would run 80 miles from Winslow Township in Camden County to the PSE&G switching station in Deans, according to a proposal endorsed by the power company on Friday. It would probably also cut through Cranbury, although the exact path is not yet known.
   Officials said they will try to limit the line’s environmental impact and disruption to local residents.
   The new line would follow existing transmission pathways and run parallel to the structures that carry power through the township. The current line enters the township near the intersection of Friendship and Rowland roads and passes directly through Quincy Circle in Monmouth Junction, and then crosses Deans Rhode Hall Road and Davidsons Mill Road, according to a zoning map.
   The specifics of the route would be determined after the proposal is accepted by PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization. A spokesperson for PJM said the line is in the early planning stages. If it is selected and approved, it would be built over five to eight years.
   The $1 billion total cost to PSE&G customers for the line, and two other lines farther north, is a "very rough estimate," PSE&G spokeswoman Karen Johnson said Tuesday. The company’s 2.1 million customers could expect their monthly bills to increase by about 60 cents, she said.
   "These new transmission lines are essential for New Jersey to meet the growing demand for electricity over the long term," said Ralph LaRossa, president and CEO of PSE&G, in a statement. "While long-term reliability is driving the need to build these lines, we also expect that they will eventually ease transmission congestion and lower electric prices for customers."
   Ms. Johnson said that while the region’s power grid is in "good shape" for now, increased capacity is a necessity.
   "Even with people conserving and using more efficient appliances, we’re still going to need additional transmission lines," she said.
   Gov. Jon Corzine has set a goal to reduce the state’s consumption of electricity by 20 percent by 2020. The U.S. Department of Energy designated New Jersey and surrounding areas in April as critical congestion areas for electricity.