I have lived, worked and raised my family in central New Jersey for 63 years. As the president and business manager of IBEW Local Union 1289, I am also responsible for the livelihoods of nearly 1,400 members.
Stable Monmouth County economic growth, strong local businesses and a good quality of life for residents require a reliable electric grid, and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) is working to meet those needs. Local Union 1289 recognizes the need for and supports JCP&L’s Monmouth County Reliability Project (MCRP).
Members of the the Local Union 1289 Brotherhood are dedicated to providing reliable, safe and uninterrupted electrical service to the residents of their neighborhoods and the State of New Jersey. Our members work day in and day out to consistently provide quality electrical service. They are the first to leave their homes and their families when trouble hits, and extreme weather from hurricanes, ice storms, heavy snowfalls, high winds and extreme heat are just some of the obstacles they endure. They are often away from their homes for days at a time in the worst weather conditions possible, working 16 hours a day to return electrical service to JCP&L customers.
When they are cold and wet, hungry and tired, each one of them will tell you that the best feeling is when they restore power to a family, an elderly lady, a young mother or those with medical needs and those who come out just to say thanks.
We have all come to rely on our electric service more than ever before. In today’s world, we expect increased reliability and want fewer and shorter power outages. Today, we need to charge cell phones and laptop computers, maintain Internet access and run big screen TVs, air conditioning and medical equipment for an aging population.
All this comes at a time when the weather patterns are getting worse and the frequency and intensity of storms are increasing beyond what they have ever been. JCP&L knows you want fewer service disruptions and is investing millions of dollars on projects to upgrade and improve the system by modernizing it, adding reliability and delivering the additional electricity customers need.
One such project is the MCRP, a new transmission line and technologies that will allow JCP&L to better oversee the system, meaning shorter and less frequent service disruptions for Monmouth County customers — customers like you and the IBEW Local 1289 members who are your friends and neighbors.
IBEW Local Union 1289 supports a healthy economy in Monmouth County. We are confident that the MCRP is in the best interests of Monmouth County residents and are proud of all those who give their all to provide safe, reliable and affordable electricity to all customers across central New Jersey.
Please join me in supporting JCP&L’s plan to improve electric service in Monmouth County.
Ed Stroup
President/Business Manager
IBEW Local Union 1289
Wanamassa