Storm-Hardening Projects
Strengthening the Infrastructure
PSEG Long Island is standing up to severe weather by storm hardening the electric infrastructure that powers our communities. Our storm-hardening program focuses on mainline circuits, the backbone of PSEG Long Island’s distribution system. The mainline circuits feed the many branch lines that power your home or business.
Excluding catastrophic storms, the sections of circuits that PSEG Long Island has storm-hardened have seen a 72% reduction in damage leading to outages from 2016 through 2023, compared with the rest of the distribution system.
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PSEG Long Island is committed to strengthening the electric infrastructure and improving reliability by continuing to storm harden the system. We’re working closely with local officials to keep them informed and to minimize potential interruptions.
Storm-Hardening Upgrades Funded by FEMA
Storm-hardening upgrades include stronger poles, narrower cross arms that help wires deflect falling branches, stronger wire and smart switches that minimize the number of customers affected by any one outage. Since 2014, the company has made significant investments in strengthening the electric infrastructure. Using $729 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), PSEG Long Island has completed storm hardening and reliability work on more than, 1,000 miles of distribution mainline circuits, 894 new smart switches installed and 26,364 poles replaced.
Continued Efforts: PowerOn
PSEG Long Island’s current storm hardening initiative, PowerOn, builds upon work completed as part of the federally-funded FEMA mitigation program by storm hardening even more of the energy infrastructure. PowerOn strengthens vulnerable electric distribution lines across Long Island and the Rockaways. Specifically, PowerOn upgrades include:
- Stronger Poles
PSEG Long Island is replacing some existing utility poles with stronger, more durable poles that are capable of withstanding winds up to 135 mph. The new poles are approximately the same height as the existing poles, have a stronger base and are placed about 3 feet from the current pole locations. PSEG Long Island actively coordinates the removal of old poles with other utilities and municipalities. - Narrow Profiles
To help wires deflect falling limbs instead of catching them, PSEG Long Island is installing shorter cross arms atop some poles. - Stronger Wires
Current wire is being replaces with more resilient and durable wire. - Upgrading Equipment
PSEG Long Island will upgrade or replace deteriorated equipment as necessary.