In short: Edison, Woodbridge, Princeton and Hamilton are PSE&G territory, where a home averaged 45 minutes without power in 2024. Western Bridgewater, Hunterdon and Monmouth are JCP&L, which averaged 481 minutes. FEMA rates Middlesex and Mercer counties “very high” for ice storms, strong wind and winter weather.
This page covers what is local in Central Jersey: which utility you have, its outage record and rules, the 2026 storm season, charging and town permit offices. Statewide rules (full retail net metering, SREC-II payments, the plug-in solar law and contractor licensing) are in our New Jersey energy guide.
Central Jersey at a glance
- PSE&G: serves Edison, Woodbridge, Princeton, Hamilton Township, Trenton, New Brunswick and most of Bridgewater. About 20.4¢ per kWh for homes in 2024; 45 minutes of outages per customer with major storms, 39 without (EIA-861, 2024).
- JCP&L: serves western Bridgewater, all of Hunterdon County and Monmouth County towns such as Freehold. About 15.6¢ per kWh in 2024; 481 minutes of outages with major storms, 255 without; about 2.5 interruptions a year (EIA-861, 2024).
- Town utilities: Milltown and South River in Middlesex County run their own electric systems (EIA-861).
- Prices since then: 2024 averages; New Jersey homes paid 25.2¢ per kWh in July 2026 (EIA).
- Sun: about 3.9 kWh per square meter per day in Edison (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: Middlesex and Mercer are “very high” for ice storms, strong wind and winter weather; Somerset for ice storms and winter weather (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 93 public ports in Edison, 83 in Princeton, 33 in Woodbridge and 27 in Bridgewater (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Look at your bill. In Bridgewater the line runs through the township, so neighbors a mile apart can have different utilities. PSE&G and JCP&L own the wires, but you may buy the supply part of your electricity from a supplier licensed by the Board of Public Utilities; if you don’t, the utility supplies it at its regulated Basic Generation Service price (NJ BPU, NJ Power Switch). About 4% of PSE&G homes and 7% of JCP&L homes used a supplier in 2024 (EIA).
- PSE&G: net metering follows the statewide rule, with credits carried month to month and any leftover paid once a year at a lower wholesale rate. Its state-approved EV charging program runs until its money is used up (NJ BPU, May 2026). We could not load PSE&G’s program pages, so check them for current EV amounts and rates.
- JCP&L: solar credits sit in a bank and are used in later months; once a year, in the month you started net metering, the balance is paid at the average wholesale market price. You can change that month only once (FirstEnergy, April 2026). Pick the month with care: a true-up right after summer pays out credits you might have used in winter. JCP&L’s EV Driven home charger incentive was scheduled to end July 15, 2026; the BPU asked all utilities in May 2026 to file extensions, so ask JCP&L what is open.
- Milltown and South River: borough utilities with their own rules. EIA lists neither as offering net metering in 2024, so ask before you buy solar.
Backup power in Central Jersey
Ice is the hazard to plan around. FEMA’s index puts ice storms, strong wind and winter weather at the top for Middlesex and Mercer, and an ice storm brings down lines in the cold, when a furnace blower, a sump pump or a well pump may be the loads that matter. On PSE&G’s grid a normal year means well under an hour in the dark. On JCP&L’s it meant about 8 hours in 2024, and the Board of Public Utilities found JCP&L’s central region missed state minimums for outage frequency in 2022 and 2024 and for restoration time in 2023 (Order to Show Cause, August 2025).
Summer can be just as rough. Over the July 4, 2026 weekend, after days of extreme heat, JCP&L had nearly 300,000 customers out across central and northern New Jersey, with gusts up to 67 mph (FirstEnergy, July 4 and 5, 2026), and PSE&G restored more than 380,000 customers statewide (PSE&G, July 9, 2026). The BPU is reviewing how every utility handled it.
A sensible plan: a portable power station for a townhouse or apartment; a home battery that switches over by itself if your outages are short; a standby or portable generator on a transfer switch if you are on JCP&L, rely on a well, or want days of heat in an ice storm. Compare them in backup power and size them with the battery backup calculator and generator sizing tool. Run a portable generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from openings, never in a garage (CPSC). A licensed electrician must install any transfer switch or interlock, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Central Jersey
Sun here is the same as in Newark by NASA’s grid, about 1,140 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate. A detached house with a south-facing, unshaded roof gets the most from it. Solar is already on about 4% of PSE&G homes and 5% of JCP&L homes (EIA, 2024). If you are on JCP&L, note that its lower 2024 price makes each kWh of solar worth a little less than on PSE&G, so run your own numbers in the solar savings calculator after checking your roof with the solar potential tool. More in solar installation and how net metering works.
Batteries in Central Jersey
With full retail net metering, a battery is mainly backup. That case is strongest for JCP&L customers and for homes that lose heat or water in an ice storm. JCP&L reported 1,588 home solar systems paired with batteries in 2024, the only Central Jersey utility to report a figure. We found no utility battery rebate here that we could confirm. Check what a battery would run with the battery backup calculator and read home battery installation.
EV charging in Central Jersey
Edison has 93 public charging ports and Princeton 83, more than most suburbs, plus 33 in Woodbridge and 27 in Bridgewater (AFDC, October 3, 2026). Home charging is still cheapest. JCP&L had 9,565 residential EV customers on its off-peak rate (NJ BPU, May 2026), so ask your utility about off-peak or time-of-use pricing before you pick a charging schedule. A Level 2 charger needs a 240 V circuit by a licensed electrician and a town permit. Estimate the cost with the EV charging calculator and read EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Edison: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
New Jersey towns enforce the state Uniform Construction Code themselves, so permits for solar, batteries, generators and chargers come from your township’s construction office.
- Edison: Division of Construction Code Enforcement, part of Planning and Engineering.
- Bridgewater: Code Enforcement, which handles all construction permits in the township.
- Woodbridge, Princeton, Hamilton and other towns: your municipal construction office; state permit forms are on the NJ Division of Codes and Standards site.
- Utility and HOA: solar and batteries need interconnection approval from PSE&G, JCP&L or your borough utility. In a townhouse or condo community, get HOA approval in writing first.
Cities we cover
- Edison
- Woodbridge
- Bridgewater
- Princeton
- Hamilton Township
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Central Jersey energy FAQ
Who supplies electricity in Bridgewater, NJ?
Both PSE&G and JCP&L serve parts of Bridgewater: most of the township is PSE&G, the western side JCP&L. Your bill tells you which. Either way you can buy the supply part from a BPU-licensed supplier, while the utility keeps delivering power and restoring outages.
What is the biggest outage risk in Central Jersey?
FEMA rates ice storms, strong wind and winter weather “very high” in Middlesex and Mercer counties. Summer storms count too: in July 2026 JCP&L had nearly 300,000 customers out across central and northern New Jersey. Plan backup for heat in winter and cooling or a sump pump in summer.
When does JCP&L pay out leftover solar credits?
Once a year, in the month your account became net metered. The balance is paid at the average wholesale market price, well below what you pay for power, and you can change the true-up month only once. Size solar to your own yearly use so few credits are left over.
Do I need a permit for a generator or EV charger in Edison?
Yes. Under New Jersey’s Uniform Construction Code, wiring a standby generator, a transfer switch or a Level 2 charger needs an electrical permit from the town’s construction office; in Edison that is the Division of Construction Code Enforcement. A licensed electrician normally files it.
Sources
Utilities, 2024 prices, outages, supplier customers and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. Service areas: HIFLD electric retail service territories. NJ Board of Public Utilities: NJ Power Switch, EV program extension order (May 21, 2026), JCP&L Order to Show Cause (August 2025) and July 15, 2026 release. FirstEnergy JCP&L net metering page (April 2026), EV Driven program guide and July 2026 restoration updates; PSE&G storm release (July 9, 2026). Edison and Bridgewater construction offices. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC. Read October 3, 2026.