One of the largest restoration efforts in PSE&G history brought together thousands of employees, contractors and mutual aid partners to safely restore service following extreme weather

Link to storm photos and videos: PSEG Flickr

NEWARK, N.J., July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PSE&G knows that losing power—especially during high heat—is difficult for customers and their families. Following a week of extreme weather that included a multi-day heat dome and winds in excess of 70 mph, we are grateful and thank customers for the patience they showed throughout one of the most devastating and extended storm events in our history. As service was restored across New Jersey, for one of the largest restoration efforts in PSE&G history, thousands of PSE&G employees, contractors and mutual aid partners worked through the holiday weekend and the days that followed to help their neighbors return to normal safely.

From the heatwave starting on July 1 through the Fourth of July holiday weekend to when the last customer was restored, we worked around the clock to restore electric service to more than 380,000 customers. Nearly all customers were restored before midnight on July 7, with the last two customers restored at 2:00 a.m. on July 8.

"For 250 years, Independence Day has honored people who answer the call to serve. This holiday weekend, thousands of PSE&G employees, contractors and mutual aid partners lived that spirit," said Kim Hanemann, President and Chief Operating Officer of PSE&G. "We are grateful for our customers and their patience and understanding in these difficult conditions of extended outages. We know that being without power for any length of time is difficult and safely restoring your power as soon as possible was at the heart of all our efforts this past week."

Hanemann continued: "I couldn't be more proud of the professionalism, compassion and determination the workforce showed operating through oppressive heat, severe weather and long hours to restore service safely during what ranks in the top ten most impactful storms in our history. And they did so with safety top of mind, looking out for one another. Their commitment reflects the very best of PSE&G, and I thank our customers for their trust throughout this historic restoration effort. PSE&G thanks every member of its workforce, its contractors and the mutual aid crews who supported this historic restoration effort."

The restoration effort included:

• More than 380,000 customer outages restored
• Approximately 700 utility poles replaced or repaired
• More than 1,500 trees cleared to safely access damaged equipment and restore service
• 165 utility crews including PSE&G, contractors and mutual aid
• 170 tree crews working to clear those trees
• More than 7,000 air conditioner repairs completed and 110 air conditioning systems replaced
• More than 10 million text and email messages were sent to customers before and during the storm, including targeted messages to customers who were out of power

Every restoration effort relies on more than the crews repairing wires and replacing poles. Customer service representatives, dispatchers, system operators, engineers, logistics teams, damage assessors and countless others worked behind the scenes throughout the holiday weekend to coordinate resources, communicate with customers and support restoration efforts safely and efficiently.

System Modernization Helped Deliver Reliable Service

Facilitating power restoration begins long before the first outage occurs. Years of projects to strengthen and modernize New Jersey's electric and gas systems helped reduce the impact of outages for many customers and enable crews to restore service more efficiently when severe weather damages the electric system.

Those projects include replacing aging equipment to strengthen everyday system performance and enable service to be restored more efficiently when severe weather or extreme temperatures hit.

Strong Partnership with Our Communities and Public Officials

"We are grateful for the partnership we have with our local public officials and first responders who are on the ground with the community and also directly experienced the impacts of the storm," said Hanemann.

PSE&G is pleased to include remarks from some of our honorable public officials.

Senator Holly Schepisi, 39th legislative district:

On behalf of the residents of New Jersey's 39th Legislative District, I want to express my sincere appreciation to you and the entire PSE&G team for your extraordinary efforts during the severe weather events that impacted our communities over the past several days.

Our residents endured extreme heat, powerful thunderstorms, torrential rainfall, fallen trees, and widespread power outages that disrupted the lives of thousands of families and businesses. While many were forced to put holiday plans on hold, PSE&G's dedicated linemen, technicians, engineers, dispatchers, customer service representatives, and support staff worked tirelessly-often around the clock and under dangerous conditions-to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

Please extend my heartfelt gratitude to every member of your team. Their willingness to work long hours, often away from their own families during the holiday weekend, demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people they serve. Their professionalism, resilience, and dedication were evident throughout the restoration effort and provided much-needed reassurance to our residents during a challenging time.

I would also like to recognize the outstanding collaboration between PSE&G and our local Departments of Public Works, police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, emergency management officials, county agencies, and countless municipal employees. The recovery of our communities was truly a team effort, and the coordination among all involved exemplified the very best of public service.

Mother Nature does not recognize holidays or weekends, yet neither did the men and women who answered the call to serve. Because of their hard work, sacrifice, and commitment, families were able to safely return to their homes, businesses reopened, and our communities began the process of returning to normal.

Please accept my deepest thanks and appreciation and share my gratitude with everyone at PSE&G who played a role in this remarkable recovery effort. Their service has made a meaningful difference in the lives of countless New Jersey residents, and it has not gone unnoticed.

South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum:

At the height of this storm, nearly 10 percent of South Orange homes were without power, so we're especially grateful that every resident has now been restored. We appreciate the PSE&G crews who worked under difficult conditions to rebuild extensively damaged infrastructure, including in areas where backyard utility lines and difficult terrain made restoration especially challenging. This was truly a team effort, strengthened by constant collaboration between PSE&G, our municipal team, and an incredible community that never stopped looking out for one another.

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco:

Social media post, July 7: The weekend storm caused damage across Bergen County, with central Bergen among the hardest hit. Earlier today I visited Midland Avenue in Paramus to survey the damage and check on ongoing power restoration efforts. There are several homes still without power, including my own.

Thank you to the utility workers from PSE&G and the multiple mutual aid contractors from across the Northeast who have come out in full force to help our Paramus residents safely return to their homes. We hope that power will be restored later today or early tomorrow. All residents are urged to stay clear of downed power lines and trees and to use caution as cleanup continues.

In moments like this, Bergen County truly shows its strength. I am grateful to our local police, EMS, fire departments, and all emergency responders for their work throughout the past week, keeping residents safe and responding to incidents across the County.

Please continue looking out for your neighbors during this time. If you or your neighbors are still without power or unable to access your homes due to storm damage, please contact your local officials and PSE&G for assistance.

Paramus Mayor Christopher DiPiazza:

Social media post, July 6: Just finished another drive through town with the Borough Administrator, a few things: Lots of progress by PSEG, they are still out in force with multiple crews and trucks throughout town and multiple tree removal companies.

Fairlawn Mayor Cristina Cutrone:

Social media post, July 5: Good afternoon, this is Mayor Cristina Cutrone with an important update following last night's severe storm.

I just concluded a call with PSE&G regarding restoration efforts. Across Bergen County, approximately 20,000 customers remain without power, including about 125 homes here in Fair Lawn. Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. Please call PSE&G directly to report any power outages. They can be reached at 1-800-436-7734.

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 24 consecutive years. In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, J.D. Power named PSE&G number one in customer satisfaction for residential 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 named to the Dow Jones Best in Class Index for North America for 18 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).

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SOURCE Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G)