Facebook Group Sending Emails to JCP&L on Sandy Response

Residents are being encouraged to send emails to JCP&L about their Hurricane Sandy experiences in advance of planned meetings to be held with officials in January.

According to Bridgewater resident Neha Pallod Limaye, she attended the Board of Public Utilities meeting with JCP&L representatives Monday, and spoke directly to officials regarding the Facebook group she began with those unhappy with JCP&L’s response, and a meeting she has requested with the officials to discuss changes to be made for the future.

“I spoke as a representative of our group and informed [JCP&L President Don] Lynch and the members of the BPU that we have come together to question JCP&L on what went wrong and what is going to be done to get it corrected going forward,” she said.

But now, Limaye said, they need to focus on having a Q&A session with these representatives and officials in January.

Limaye had initially started a petition to get JCP&L out of Bridgewater, and also created a Facebook group to bring together people who were disappointed by the performance of the power company following Superstorm Sandy.

And from there, Limaye said, she put together an email to be sent to the three officials to request a meeting to get answers on management and future plans for dealing with these kinds of storms.

The director of communication for the BPU, Limaye said, has asked every member of the Facebook group, and any other residents, to send emails about their experiences, comments, concerns and suggestions to board.secretary@bpu.state.nj.us.

“These emails will go in as a written report against the utilities’ providers, and will allow BPU to assess their working further and move toward a change,” she said.

Limaye said she also spoke to JCP&L representative John Anderson, who is working on a date for the Q&A session, to be set after all BPU hearings are complete, after Jan. 3. At that point, she said, she was told meetings will be set with township mayors and other officials, followed by others set with residents for a Q&A session.

“He’s asked us to continue compiling our questions,” she said.

Limaye said that those with questions specifically for JCP&L can contact Pat Stiles Esposito at pati_espo@hotmail.com, and she will be compiling them for the representatives from JCP&L.

“We need to have these compiled and circulated to Anderson in early January,” Limaye said. “I know this is going to be a slow process, but let’s not let time dampen our drive to bring a change.”

“I know for sure that we are being heard, people know us, the right people know we are here and are asking questions,” she added. “Our movement is growing, let’s continue our quest.”

To join the Facebook group, click here.