Circuit Reliability Upgrades Begin in Aquebogue, Jamesport and Riverhead

(UNIONDALE, N.Y. – April 24, 2025) PSEG Long Island is improving the reliability of the energy grid in Aquebogue, Jamesport and Riverhead. The storm hardening work on this distribution circuit is part of many system improvements included in the “Power On” program.

“This Power On infrastructure improvement project in Aquebogue, Jamesport and Riverhead is part of PSEG Long Island’s ongoing, multi-year effort to continue to improve electric reliability for customers. 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.”

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

The work will begin at the end of April and is expected to last approximately two months. PSEG Long Island’s licensed and approved contractors will work along distribution lines in Aquebogue, Jamesport and Riverhead. 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.

• 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 Aquebogue, Jamesport and Riverhead:

• Tuthills Lane between North Apollo Drive and just south of South Apollo Drive
• Main Road between Washington Avenue and Circle Drive
• Edgar Avenue between Main Road and Hubbard Avenue
• Hubbard Avenue between Edgar Avenue and Overlook Drive
• Intersection at Overlook Drive and Meeting House Creek Road
• Middle Road between Doctor’s Path Road and Fanning Boulevard
• Old Country Road between Northville Turnpike and Doctor’s Path Road
  
   

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 420 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, from the first quarter of 2024 through the first quarter of 2025, the sections of circuits that PSEG Long Island has storm-hardened have seen a 39% reduction in damage leading to outages, 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.

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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.