THE OCEAN COUNTY Board of Commissioners is calling for urgent reforms at Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), citing repeated service failures, rising utility rates, and a lack of accountability to the community.

In June, JCP&L customers saw their average monthly bills increase by $23, roughly 20 percent, from $112.25 up to as much as $134.92. Ocean County Commissioner Deputy Director Frank Sadeghi warned that such increases will force some families to make impossible choices.

"Too many of our residents are already struggling to make ends meet," said Sadeghi. "When utility bills go up by this much, families may have to decide between keeping the lights on, buying food, or paying for medicine. That is simply unacceptable."

Officials pointed to JCP&L's troubling history of frequent and prolonged outages, noting that the company has often refused to reimburse customers for spoiled food and other losses caused by power failures.

"JCP&L needs to concentrate less on profits and more on serving its customers," said Sadeghi. "That means upgrading the infrastructure, trimming trees to prevent falling limbs from taking down power lines, and moving more lines underground where they will be protected from storms and high winds."

The Board also emphasized the need for JCP&L to complete long-delayed upgrades to its power grid, warning that without meaningful improvements, the region could face disaster in the event of a major storm.

"We all remember Superstorm Sandy," said Sadeghi. "Ocean County experienced widespread outages then, and the same thing will happen again if a hurricane strikes and JCP&L is not better prepared. We cannot allow history to repeat itself."

Commissioner Sadeghi reaffirmed the Board's commitment to fighting for residents who depend on reliable, affordable power.

"Utility companies must be held accountable," said Sadeghi. "Ocean County residents deserve better than broken promises and rising bills. JCP&L must step up, strengthen its system, and put its customers first."