In short: Toms River, Brick and most of the Ocean and Monmouth coast are JCP&L territory, where a home averaged 481 minutes without power in 2024, the longest of New Jersey’s big utilities. FEMA rates Ocean County “very high” for coastal flooding, lightning, strong wind and winter weather. Backup power is a serious question here.
This page covers what is local to the Jersey Shore: which utility serves your town, how long outages run, flood risk for equipment, charging and permits. Statewide rules (full retail net metering, SREC-II payments, the plug-in solar law and contractor licensing) are in our New Jersey energy guide.
Jersey Shore at a glance
- JCP&L: serves Toms River, Brick, Lakewood, Freehold, Asbury Park and most of Ocean and Monmouth counties. About 15.6¢ per kWh for homes in 2024. Outages: 481 minutes per customer with major storms, 255 without; about 2.5 interruptions a year (EIA-861, 2024).
- Atlantic City Electric (ACE): serves southern Ocean County (such as Tuckerton) and all of Atlantic and Cape May counties, including Atlantic City, Ocean City and Cape May. About 23.4¢ per kWh in 2024; 123 minutes of outages with major storms, 50 without (EIA-861).
- Town utilities: Lavallette and Seaside Heights 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 4.06 kWh per square meter per day in Toms River (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,185 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: Ocean County is “very high” for coastal flooding, lightning, strong wind and winter weather and “relatively high” for hurricanes; Monmouth is “very high” for ice storms, lightning, strong wind and winter weather (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 140 public ports at 41 locations in Toms River (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Your bill names your utility. JCP&L and ACE own the wires, but you can buy the supply part of your power from a supplier licensed by the Board of Public Utilities, or stay on the utility’s regulated Basic Generation Service (NJ BPU, NJ Power Switch). About 7% of homes on each did so in 2024 (EIA).
- JCP&L: extra solar power goes into a credit bank used in later months. Once a year, in the month your account became net metered, the balance is paid at the average wholesale market price, and you can change that month only once (FirstEnergy, April 2026). If your house is a summer home, think about that month: a true-up just after summer cashes out credits at a low price. JCP&L’s EV Driven home charger incentive was due to end July 15, 2026; the BPU ordered utilities in May 2026 to file extensions, so ask JCP&L what is available now.
- ACE: statewide net metering rules apply. Its Residential Make-Ready Rebate pays up to 50% of the wiring upgrade for a smart Level 2 home charger, up to $1,000, through December 31, 2026 or until funds run out, and ACE offers a per-kWh credit for charging off-peak (ACE).
- Lavallette and Seaside Heights: borough utilities with their own rules. EIA lists net metering in Seaside Heights but not in Lavallette in 2024, so ask before you buy solar.
Backup power at the Shore
JCP&L customers averaged about 8 hours without power in 2024 counting storms, and more than 4 hours without them, far more than PSE&G’s 45 minutes. The Board of Public Utilities found that JCP&L’s central region missed state minimums for outage frequency in 2022 and 2024 and for restoration time in 2023, and it has an Order to Show Cause under way (NJ BPU, August 2025 and July 2026). Over the July 4, 2026 weekend, after a heat wave, storms with gusts up to 67 mph left nearly 300,000 JCP&L customers in central and northern New Jersey without power, some for several days (FirstEnergy, July 2026).
That record makes real backup worth pricing: a standby or portable generator on a transfer switch for multi-day outages, or a home battery, ideally charged by solar, for quiet, automatic backup. A portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi and a CPAP machine in a condo or rental. Compare them in backup power and size them with the battery backup calculator and generator sizing tool.
Flooding and placement: with coastal flooding rated “very high” in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties, where equipment sits matters. Ask your installer and your town’s construction office how high a generator, battery, inverter or panel board must be in a flood zone before you choose a spot. Run a portable generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from openings, never in a garage, and never connect it to house wiring without a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician (CPSC). See generator installation.
Solar at the Shore
Toms River gets slightly more sun than North Jersey, about 1,185 kWh a year per kW of panels by our rough estimate. On ACE’s grid, where 2024 prices averaged 23.4¢, one home in ten already had solar; on JCP&L’s, with lower 2024 prices, about one in twenty (EIA, 2024). Wind matters for the roof: strong wind and hurricanes are rated high here, so ask the installer how panels are attached and whether your roof needs work first. Check your roof with the solar potential tool and run the solar savings calculator with your current rate. Read solar installation and how net metering works.
Batteries at the Shore
New Jersey’s retail net metering means a battery here earns its keep as backup, and JCP&L’s outage record makes that case stronger than almost anywhere else in the state. JCP&L reported 1,588 home solar systems paired with batteries in 2024. Solar panels alone shut off in an outage; a battery with a backup gateway keeps them working. We found no utility battery rebate at the Shore that we could confirm. Read home battery installation.
EV charging at the Shore
Toms River has 140 public charging ports at 41 locations (AFDC, October 3, 2026). For daily driving, home charging is cheaper. JCP&L had 9,565 residential EV customers on its off-peak rate (NJ BPU, May 2026), and ACE pays a credit for off-peak charging, so ask your utility about off-peak pricing. A Level 2 charger needs a 240 V circuit from a licensed electrician and a town permit. Estimate costs with the EV charging calculator and read EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Toms River: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Toms River, Brick and other towns: each New Jersey town enforces the state Uniform Construction Code through its own construction office, which issues building and electrical permits for solar, batteries, generators and chargers. Forms are on the NJ Division of Codes and Standards site.
- Flood zones: ask the construction office about elevation and placement rules before the design is final.
- Utility: solar and batteries need interconnection approval from JCP&L, ACE or your borough utility.
- Condos and HOAs: get association approval in writing before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Toms River
- Brick Township
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Jersey Shore energy FAQ
Who is the electric company in Toms River?
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), as in Brick, Lakewood and most of Ocean and Monmouth counties. Southern Ocean County, Atlantic and Cape May are Atlantic City Electric, and Lavallette and Seaside Heights have their own borough utilities.
Why does the Shore lose power so often?
Weather and the utility’s record both play a part. FEMA rates Ocean County “very high” for coastal flooding, lightning, strong wind and winter weather, and JCP&L averaged 481 minutes of outages per customer in 2024 (EIA). The Board of Public Utilities is pursuing an Order to Show Cause against JCP&L over missed reliability standards.
Is a generator or a battery better at the Jersey Shore?
For outages that last days, a generator on a transfer switch gives the most hours. A battery is quieter, switches on by itself and pairs with solar, but runs out unless the sun recharges it. In a flood zone, ask your town’s construction office how high either one must sit.
Can I get an EV charger rebate in Ocean County?
If you are on Atlantic City Electric, yes: up to $1,000 toward the wiring for a smart Level 2 charger through December 31, 2026, while funds last. JCP&L’s home charger incentive was due to end in July 2026 and the BPU has asked for an extension, so check JCP&L’s EV page.
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; Atlantic City Electric Residential Make-Ready Rebate page. 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.