Circuit Reliability Upgrades Begin in Levittown

(UNIONDALE, N.Y. – July 1, 2024) PSEG Long Island is improving the reliability of the energy grid in Levittown. The storm hardening work on this distribution circuit is part of many system improvements included in the “Power On” program.

“We are working hard to reduce the number of outages that occur during severe weather by strengthening the electric lines that directly power homes and businesses. This Power On infrastructure improvement project in Levittown is part of PSEG Long Island’s ongoing, multi-year effort to continue to improve electric reliability for customers.” 

-  Peggy Keane, Vice President of Construction and Operations Services, PSEG Long Island

The work began in early June and is expected to last for approximately seven months. PSEG Long Island’s licensed and approved contractors will work along distribution lines in Levittown. To ensure traffic moves safely, PSEG Long Island will provide cones, flaggers and signage at the worksites, as needed. Local officials will also 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 worn equipment as necessary.

Crews will be working on the following streets in Levittown:

• Dogwood Lane between Newbridge Road and Wolcott Road
• Private rear property along Old Farm Road between Dogwood Lane and Bittersweet Lane
• Rear property along Bittersweet Lane
• Rear property along Butternut Lane between Bittersweet Lane and Bucket Lane
• Rear property along Eagle Lane between Bucket Lane and Jerusalem Avenue
• Jerusalem Avenue between Mallard Road and Hempstead Turnpike
• Hempstead Turnpike between Jerusalem Avenue and Grassy Lane
• Rear property along Grassy Lane between Hempstead Turnpike and Bucket Lane
• Jerusalem Avenue between Meridian Road and Heather Lane
• Rear property between Old Farm Road and Azalea Road
• Rear property between Azalea Road and Periwinkle Road
• Rear properties along Carnation Road, Ivy Lane, Primrose Lane, Hyacinth Road, Buttercup Lane and Poppy Lane
• Rear property along Periwinkle Road between Poppy Lane and Peony Road
• Rear properties along Mistletoe Lane, Gardenia Lane, Bluebell Lane, Lily Lane and Tulip Lane
  
   

PSEG Long Island prepares year-round for extreme weather to maintain reliable service for approximately 1.2 million customers. Since 2014, the company has made significant investments in strengthening the electric infrastructure. Using funding from both FEMA and LIPA, PSEG Long Island has completed storm hardening and reliability work on more than 1,000 miles of distribution mainline circuits. 

Power On, a 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 352 miles of the most vulnerable distribution mainline and branch line circuits on Long Island and in the Rockaways have been storm hardened with stronger poles, thicker wire and other modern equipment. 

These investments have strengthened the system so that fewer customers experience outages and, when they do occur, the duration is shorter, especially during extreme weather. 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.

Power On focuses on mainline circuits, the backbone of the distribution system. The main lines feed the many branch lines that power the homes and businesses in individual communities.

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

# # #

PSEG Long Island
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.