LAMBERTVILLE: Committee will look into power supply concerns

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   LAMBERTVILLE — Bradley Campbell, a former commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, will chair a Lambertville committee that will investigate issues pertaining to power supply companies.
   The city gets its electric power from Jersey Central :Power and Light (JCP&L).
   The Committee was appointed by Mayor David Del Vecchio at the Nov. 18 City Council meeting.
   ”This committee will educate the public as to what our options are in terms of power supply,” the mayor said.
   ”For the city’s future and for educational purposes, I think this committee’s work is very important. I think a lot of people in town want to know what our options are. This committee will find out what they are,” he said.
   The committee will investigate power supply companies and the laws, rules and regulations pertaining to them along with what choices the city may have in deciding from where to get its power in the future.
   Joining Mr. Campbell on the committee are: Timothy Korzun, the chairman of the Planning Board; David K. Burd, the coordinator of the Office of Emergency Management; Councilman Ward Sanders; and residents, Sara Scully, Edie Brower, Richard Carmosino, Bruce Harris and Peter Page.
   The committee is expected to report to the mayor and council at their January or February sessions on the information gathered and what options are available to the city.
   Hurricanes Irene and Sandy were marked by many complaints from Delaware Valley-area residents about the performance of JCP&L in dealing with those storms.
   The complaints focused on how long it took to get power restored and on the difficulties in communicating with JCP&L about problems associated with the storms.
   In neighboring Hopewell Township, for example, a number of residents complained bitterly about JCP&L at a recent Township Committee meeting.
   A similar chorus of complaints about that company was heard after Irene.
   The residents who complained about JCP&L’s performance during and after Sandy asked the Hopewell Township Committee to find out if they could drop JCP&L and switch to PSE&G (Public Service Gas & Electric). The committee said it would investigate the matter.