The following is an email provided to BHCW from Berkeley Heights Resident Michael Leblond sent to Mayors and Town Councils on Power Outages

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to express my frustration regarding the frequent power outages affecting our community. I’ve had two outages this month alone.  These interruptions have been occurring with increasing frequency and are causing significant hardship to residents and local businesses alike.

As you are aware, the issue is not new to our town.  I’ve experienced more than eighty outages since I moved here in 2009.  The repeated outages not only disrupt our routines but also pose potential risks to sensitive electronic equipment and compromise public safety, especially during extreme weather conditions which have become more prevalent in the last few years.

I urge you and your colleagues to prioritize this issue and work closely with the utility providers and the NJBPU to identify the root causes of these outages. It is essential that steps are taken to enhance the resilience of our local power infrastructure, whether through infrastructure upgrades, maintenance improvements, or emergency response protocols.

Furthermore, I encourage transparency and effective communication from both local government and utility companies regarding outage updates and restoration efforts. Timely information can alleviate concerns and help residents better prepare for and cope with these disruptions.  Just a few years ago the Town Council held a meeting with a representative from JCP&L to address the community about the problems we continue to experience on a regular basis.  This should be done again.  

Please consider the urgency of this matter and the impact it has on our community’s well-being. I look forward to your prompt action and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue further.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue affecting our community.

Sincerely,

Michael Leblond

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