# NJ utility fined $44.1M after July outage

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/new-jersey-utility-outage-and-fine
> Updated: 2026-07-25T11:29:00.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 2.

In early July 2026 a line of powerful thunderstorms swept through the Mid‑Atlantic, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of customers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) reported roughly 200,000 customers lost electricity, with about 121,000 still without service three days after the storm. Utilities mobilized crews, mutual‑aid assistance and smart‑meter technology to locate and repair faults while urging residents to report outages.

New Jersey regulators subsequently moved to penalize JCP&L. The Board of Public Utilities announced a $44.1 million civil penalty for the utility’s failure to meet baseline reliability benchmarks for 2022‑2024 and for its handling of the July 3 storms. The fine is calculated at $25,000 for the first day of each violation and $50,000 for each additional day, with a public‑participation deadline of Aug. 12.

A follow‑up release on July 25 confirmed the fine and expanded the impact figures: the storm knocked out power to roughly 300,000 customers, and about 40,000 remained without service three days later. Federal data cited in the Asbury Park Press showed JCP&L customers in 2024 suffered an average of 2.5 prolonged outages (over three hours) compared with 0.6 for nearby Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G). Regulators noted that JCP&L had been warned, even before Superstorm Sandy, for diverting rate‑payer funds to its parent rather than investing in grid hardening.

## Claims

- The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is imposing a $44.1 million fine on Jersey Central Power & Light for missing baseline reliability benchmarks in 2022, 2023 and 2024. (single source)
- Jersey Central Power & Light serves about 1.1 million customers across 13 counties. (single source)
- A July 3 storm with winds up to 80 mph knocked out power to about 300,000 JCP&L customers. (single source)
- Three days after the storm, roughly 40,000 customers remained without electricity. (single source)
- In 2024 JCP&L customers averaged about 2.5 outages lasting more than three hours, versus 0.6 for Public Service Electric & Gas customers. (single source)
- Regulators had warned before Superstorm Sandy that JCP&L was directing ratepayer money to its parent company instead of reinvesting in the grid. (single source)
- The penalty is calculated at $25,000 for the first day of a violation and $50,000 for each additional day, totaling $44.1 million. (single source)
- The Board set August 12 as the deadline for public participation in the case. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-07-25: New Jersey Board of Public Utilities fines JCP&L $44.1M over outage failures

NJ regulators are fining JCP&L $44.1 M for missed reliability benchmarks after July storms left hundreds of thousands without power, citing under‑investment and longer outages than peers.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/generator-sizing-guidance-and-kohler-standby-unit-fault-highlighted

### 2026-07-04: Jersey Central Power & Light leads regional outage response after severe storms

Severe storms across PA, NJ and CT knocked out power to over 200,000 customers; utilities mobilized crews, mutual‑aid and smart‑meter tools while NJ Transit service was disrupted.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/new-jersey-storms-leave-160000-without-power-and-halt-nj-transit-service

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Cite as: NJ utility fined $44.1M after July outage. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/new-jersey-utility-outage-and-fine