Hornik to testify on JCPL’s storm failures at Assembly hearing

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik is one of three New Jersey mayors slated to testify at a joint hearing of the Assembly Homeland Security and Telecommunications/Utilities Committees today at 10 a.m. in Trenton.

The hearing is to take testimony from invited guests on electric public utility emergency response and restoration of services after major storm events, including Tropical Storm Isaias, which resulted in Marlboro and much of Monmouth County being without power for the better part of a week.

The hearing is closed to public attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic but may be viewed live online by visiting the legislature’s website and clicking on LIVE PROCEEDINGS.

In addition to the mayors, representatives of the States electric utilities and Jersey City’s Director of Emergency Management and Operations are scheduled to testify.

Following JCP&L’s inadequate response to the power outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias, Mayor Hornik sent a letter to BPU President Joseph Fiordaliso stating in part, “As Mayors, we can neither hide from nor escape taking responsibility for anything that occurs in our Towns, including the reliability of the electricity infrastructure that is owned and operated by this private company based in Ohio. Like any consumer, I merely seek JCP&L to provide a reliable service in exchange for a fair price. JCP&L fails to deliver.”

“I am thankful to Speaker Coughlin and the Assembly for the opportunity to speak before this committee,” Mayor Hornik It is my hope that this hearing will lead to JCP&L being held accountable. That the BPU will require JCP&L to invest in measurable and concrete storm response, require them to implement meaningful system upgrades and acceptable levels of disaster response, and substantially improve their communication with the public and local elected officials. JCP&L should either fix the problem or be subject to substantial penalties and consequences.”