Circuit Reliability Upgrades Begin in Oyster Bay, Cove Neck

(UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Feb. 1, 2022) – PSEG Long Island is improving the reliability of the energy grid in the Town of Oyster Bay and the Village of Cove Neck. The storm hardening work on this distribution circuit is part of many system improvements included in the “Power On” program.

“Through Power On, PSEG Long Island is strengthening the electric lines that directly power homes and businesses, making them more resilient during storms like the ones we saw in the last two weekends of January. We know electric reliability is more important than ever to our customers,” said Peggy Keane, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Construction and Operations Services. “This infrastructure improvement project in the Town of Oyster Bay and the Village of Cove Neck is part of our ongoing, multi-year effort to continue to improve electric reliability for our customers.”

Beginning in January and lasting for approximately three months, PSEG Long Island’s licensed and approved contractors will work along mainline distribution lines in the Town of Oyster Bay and the Village of Cove Neck. To ensure traffic moves safely, PSEG Long Island will provide cones, flaggers and signage at the work sites as needed. Local officials also will be notified in advance regarding any potential traffic concerns.

The storm-hardening improvements include:

• Stronger poles: PSEG Long Island will replace some existing utility poles with stronger, more durable poles that are capable of withstanding winds up to 135 mph. The new poles will be approximately the same height as the existing poles, have a stronger base and will be placed no more than 5 feet from the current pole locations. PSEG Long Island will actively coordinate 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 will be installing shorter cross arms atop some poles.
• Stronger wire: Current wire will be replaced with more resilient and durable wire.
• Upgrading: PSEG Long Island will upgrade or replace deteriorated equipment as necessary.

Crews will be working on the following streets in the Town of Oyster Bay and the Village of Cove Neck:

• Larrabee Avenue between W Main Street and Shore Avenue
• Shore Avenue between West End Avenue and Maxwell Avenue
• East Main Street between South Street and Pearl Street
• White Street (turning into Elsie Avenue) between East Main Street and South Street
• Cove Neck Road between Cove Road and east of Tiffany Road

As part of our physical distancing protocols, PSEG Long Island asks that customers remain in their homes when crews are working nearby. If customers must speak with our crews or contractors, we ask that they practice responsible social distancing and remain at least 6 feet away to ensure the health of everyone involved. For more information about how PSEG Long Island continues to live up to its commitments during the pandemic, please visit www.psegliny.com/covid19.

Since 2014, PSEG Long Island has been strengthening the electric infrastructure that serves its 1.1 million customers. Using funding from FEMA, PSEG Long Island has completed storm hardening and reliability work on more than 900 miles of distribution mainline circuits.

Power On, a five-year program that started in the spring of 2020, continues the work now that the FEMA program has concluded. Since the launch of Power On, more than 59 miles of the most vulnerable distribution mainline circuits on Long Island and in the Rockaways have been storm hardened with stronger poles, thicker wire and other modern equipment.

In 2021, the sections of circuits that are storm hardened saw a 51% reduction in damage leading to outages compared to the rest of the distribution system.

Power On focuses on mainline circuits, the backbone of PSEG Long Island’s distribution system. The mainlines feed the many branch lines that power the homes and businesses in individual communities.

For more project details, visit https://www.psegliny.com/inthecommunity/currentinitiatives/stormhardeningprojects.

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PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a long-term contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company.