Circuits upgraded through PSE&G's infrastructure program are seeing 22% fewer outage incidents, the utility announced at a news conference Friday, Aug. 28, at its new Livingston substation.

The 230-kilovolt substation, placed into service in 2024, taps into an existing high-voltage transmission line to create a stronger feed for the area. PSE&G said the project has reduced the risk of overloads and added capacity for future demand in Livingston and surrounding communities.

The substation was the backdrop for a broader announcement: circuits upgraded through PSE&G's Infrastructure Advancement Program (IAP) have also seen 23% fewer customers affected on average, Patch reported. Those figures are program-wide averages across PSE&G's service territory, not specific to Livingston.

The IAP is a $511 million investment running from 2022 through 2026 to modernize the utility's distribution systems, according to PSE&G's program page. The program includes $234 million in "Last Mile" improvements to boost neighborhood-level reliability and prepare the grid for electric vehicles and renewable energy.

State Sen. John McKeon, whose 27th Legislative District includes Livingston and Millburn, said at the event, "New Jerseyans expect the lights to stay on, especially when severe weather puts our electric infrastructure to the test."

Paul Toscarelli, PSE&G's vice president of electric operations, said in a company statement that the upgrades are delivering results for customers. He said the utility will continue strengthening its systems to prepare for changing energy needs.

The announcement follows the Independence Day weekend earlier in summer 2026, when PSE&G restored more than 380,000 customer outages across New Jersey after a severe heatwave and thunderstorms. The utility replaced or repaired nearly 700 poles and cleared more than 1,500 trees to reach damaged equipment. PSE&G called it one of its largest restoration efforts ever.

Beyond the IAP, PSE&G reported that nearly 22,000 utility poles have been replaced since 2023, producing a 50% reliability improvement on the 20 circuits with the most replacements. The utility has also installed more than 1,500 smart switching devices that help crews reroute power during outages and raised 42 substations above Superstorm Sandy flood levels.

Since 2016, PSE&G said it has completed $30 billion in projects across its electric and gas systems. Nearly 75% of that spending went toward reliability and resiliency.

PSE&G serves 2.4 million electric customers and 1.9 million gas customers statewide. The utility did not announce a successor program to the IAP or a timeline for additional upgrades in the Livingston area.