Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) crews are arriving in Georgia Friday afternoon Oct. 4) and are prepared for a two-week deployment to provide mutual aid in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Workers will assist until their help is no longer needed.
PSE&G has deployed approximately 90 lineworkers, safety professionals, mechanics, and logistical support personnel following the path of destruction across the southeastern United States.
“After Hurricane Sandy, Southern Company was one of the many utilities that came to our aid. Utilities from as far away as New Mexico, Florida and the Province of Quebec provided 4,500 lineworkers and support personal during our time of need,” said PSE&G’s John Latka, senior vice president Electric Transmission & Distribution.
“We know the importance of getting the lights back on for customers and feel fortunate when we are able to assist,” Latka said.
About 784,000 homes and businesses remain without power across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Tens of thousands of residents, most in western North Carolina, remained without running water.
PSE&G, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey in the Greater Meadowlands Region, is providing aid to Southern Company, a gas and electric utility company based in the Southern United States.
Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented flooding to communities in Western North Carolina. The death toll has topped 200 people since the hurricane started moving across the region last week.
Mutual aid is when a utility sends workers to help restore service to customers of other companies. The utility industry is somewhat unique in that we all help each other during weather emergencies.
About PSE&G
Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is New Jersey’s oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, as well as one of the nation’s largest utilities. PSE&G has won the ReliabilityOne® Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region for 22 consecutive years.
For the third consecutive year, PSE&G is the recipient of the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in the Energy Efficiency Program Delivery category. In addition, in 2023 J.D. Power named PSE&G number one in customer satisfaction with residential and business electric service in the east among large utilities. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a predominantly regulated infrastructure company focused on a clean energy future and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 16 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).
White House Effort
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The action will provide additional manpower and logistics capabilities, enabling FEMA and other interagency partners to reach the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible.