By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
A Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G) representative spoke at the Nov. 27 Township Committee meeting, seeking approval to approach the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for a diversion of certain Green Acres properties to install a new tower for a transmission line.
According to Karen Johnson, spokeswoman for PSE&G, the company is looking to install a new transmission line between stations in Branchburg and Hillsborough in order to better serve its clients.
”We need to ensure reliability and make sure transmissions are available for customers,” she said.
Ms. Johnson said that some of the land over which the new transmission line will travel is Green Acres space, which means it has been designated as open space by the DEP, and is to be used for parks and recreation.
Because permission was granted by the Township Committee, PSE&G can now approach the DEP to ask for the diversion of the two properties about 0.07 of an acre needed for the transmission line.
The diversion will also allow PSE&G to install a new tower on the land to accommodate the additional transmission line. Ms. Johnson said that PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization, is responsible for checking different regions of the country to ensure that there are enough transmission lines ready to serve electricity to customers in different regions of states like New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
She said the new line and towers must be installed to meet PJM standards.
A project manager for PSE&G, who attended the committee meeting, said the PJM has determined that if one of the existing electricity systems in the township should fail, it would lead to an overload of the remainder of the systems, which would be detrimental to the residents.
”This issue comes up from time to time, and we must do what we need to to ensure reliability of the systems,” Ms. Johnson said.
