AC Electric Files for Base Rate Increase

MAYS LANDING — March 30, 2017, Atlantic City Electric (ACE) asked the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to authorize a base rate increase of $70.2 million to support new upgrades and enhancements made to its energy infrastructure and continue forward momentum in strengthening South Jersey’s power delivery system.
“Modernizing our energy infrastructure is critical to providing quality service to our customers who rely on us to power their lives and the southern New Jersey economy,” said Vince Maione, Atlantic City Electric region president. “We live in South Jersey, too, and understand that our customers expect resilient, reliable electrical service every day – in stormy weather and on blue sky days – and this request reflects our commitment to investing in a system that continues to deliver just that.”
ACE customers continue to benefit from the significant upgrades in the safety and reliability of ACE’s electric system as the frequency and duration of outages continue to steadily decline.
In 2016, ACE customers experienced 33 percent fewer outages and the average time customers were without power has declined 35 percent compared to 2011.
In 2016, ACE spent nearly $160 million to maintain and strengthen its power delivery system. ACE constructed a new distribution substation in Cape May County and replaced hundreds of deteriorated utility poles throughout its service territory. The company completed nearly 30 separate substation enhancement projects that included new transformers, switchgear and other equipment, and completed reliability improvements on 41 distribution feeders that significantly improved service for these customers.
In 2016, ACE spent nearly $25 million on tree trimming and vegetation management spanning more than 1,900 miles of distribution power lines to help prevent outages. This represents roughly a $9 million increase when compared to 2015.
The base rate increase is subject to review and approval by the BPU. If approved as requested, the typical residential customer using 716 kilowatt hours per month would see a total monthly bill increase of about 6.6 percent or $9.00, from $136.90 to $145.90.
The company intends to put the full amount of its proposed rates into effect in nine months from the date of the filing, as authorized by New Jersey law.
In its filing, ACE stated it would continue to improve service reliability for customers throughout its service territory by building new infrastructure and substations, and upgrading existing infrastructure by replacing transformers, poles, wires and other improvements.
Customers with questions regarding billing or the rate increase can contact our Customer Care Center at 1-800-642-3780. ACE will work with customers who may be having difficulty paying their electric bill and offers budget billing and payment plans. Through its dedicated outreach team, ACE connects its low income customers with available resources and supports state social service assistance programs to help make it easier for customers to pay their bills. Customers are encouraged to use energy wisely to save on costs and can find energy-saving tips at atlanticcityelectric.com.
For information about energy assistance programs, customers can visit www.nj211.org or call 211, New Jersey’s non-emergency helpline, available 24/7 throughout the state.
For more information about Atlantic City Electric, visit www.atlanticcityelectric.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atlanticcityelectric and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acelecconnect.
Our mobile app is available at www.atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp.