LAKEWOOD, NJ — For the third time in less than 24 hours, large portions of Lakewood were plunged into darkness as another major power outage struck the township Monday night, leaving over 3,000 Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) customers without electricity.
The blackout, caused by a blown circuit at a local substation, wreaked havoc across the eastern side of town, disrupting traffic, events, and daily life — and reigniting long-standing criticism of the utility provider.
The outage affected key residential and commercial zones, including Ridge Avenue, New Hampshire Avenue, and Oak Street. Multiple traffic lights in the area were rendered inoperable, creating dangerous driving conditions during peak evening hours.
Compounding the chaos, several wedding halls lost power mid-event, disrupting simchos and forcing guests and staff to scramble in the dark until generators could be procured.
The evening outage followed two earlier blackouts that struck the township in quick succession. Nearly 2,000 customers were left without power for several hours Tuesday afternoon, and more than 1,000 residents experienced outages early that same morning.
All told, thousands of homes and businesses in Lakewood faced power disruptions during a single 24-hour span — and during one of the hottest days of the year.
Temperatures soared past 100 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. With air conditioning units offline and refrigeration compromised, residents were left sweating and scrambling to preserve food and safety.
JCP&L’s failure to keep up with Lakewood’s growing power needs has once again come under fire. For years, residents and local officials have accused the company of falling dangerously behind in infrastructure upgrades, particularly as the town’s population — and electricity usage — continue to skyrocket. Summer after summer, power outages have become a grimly predictable pattern in Lakewood, especially during heatwaves when electricity demand surges.
“Every time the temperature rises, the grid collapses. It’s beyond unacceptable — it’s reckless,” one frustrated resident said. “We’re paying for service, not excuses.”
Despite repeated complaints, calls for action, and mounting pressure from the community, JCP&L has yet to demonstrate meaningful improvements in reliability. Tuesday’s blackouts, stacked back-to-back-to-back, have only deepened concerns over the utility’s ability — or willingness — to adequately serve Lakewood’s rapidly expanding population.
As residents contend with boiling homes, disrupted simchos, and melting freezers, the question remains: How many more outages will it take before JCP&L finally gets serious about keeping the lights on in Lakewood?

{Matzav.com}