August 20, 2023

When we say our utility crews are ready for anything, we really mean it.

More than 2,000 JCP&L customers lost power when a transformer was damaged by an unlikely culprit.

A fish, normally confined to a watery environment, was found on top of a damaged transformer on Aug. 12. Police in Sayreville, N.J., believe a bird dropped the fish while flying overhead.

Police later released a sketch of the bird, along with a tongue-in-cheek press release that memorialized the fish and asked residents to be on the lookout for the suspect.

IIt’s not unusual for animals, including raccoons and squirrels that chew insulation or damage other equipment, to cause power outages. But fish are somewhat less common.

JCP&L had power restored within two hours.