​MAYS LANDING, N.J. (Feb. 9, 2021) – Atlantic City Electric customers across South Jersey experienced the lowest frequency of electric outages ever in 2020, a result of Atlantic City Electric's ongoing efforts to modernize the local energy grid and support customers and communities through the pandemic. The frequency of power outages decreased from the previous low, set in 2017, by about 7 percent. Over the past ten years, energy system upgrades and new innovative technologies have reduced the frequency of electric outages by 53 percent for Atlantic City Electric customers and communities.

"We are committed to providing the best possible service for our customers," said Tyler Anthony, senior vice president & COO of Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric. "Achieving record reliability in 2020 is a testament to the ongoing hard work and dedication of our employees to meet this commitment during an especially challenging year when our customers needed us most. With more adults working from home and children learning virtually, we are focused on continuing to provide the reliable energy service they depend on and powering our communities through this pandemic."

Each day, work is performed across South Jersey as part of the company's ongoing efforts to further improve reliability for customers. This work includes inspecting existing infrastructure, trimming trees that could potentially impact the system, building new substations and new underground equipment, and strengthening transmission and distribution lines. The company also is installing innovative technologies to improve system reliability, such as specialized equipment that can automatically restore service more quickly or isolate damage. These new technologies have been a main driver behind the continued reduction in the frequency of outages customers experience.

In recent years, Atlantic City Electric completed several key projects to help modernize the local energy grid and enhance reliability for customers. These projects included:

• Great Egg Harbor Crossing Reliability Project – Upgraded 1.3 miles of transmission line spanning the Great Egg Harbor Bay between Atlantic and Cape May counties to modernize and strengthen the local energy grid, installing new, state-of-the-art steel transmission poles, creating a stronger and more resilient energy grid to benefit thousands of local customers.
• Lewis to Higbee Reliability Project – Installed six miles of new transmission line with new, modern equipment, including steel utility poles capable of withstanding winds up to 120 mph, to improve reliability for customers in Atlantic City and the adjoining barrier islands. Crews used a helicopter to place steel poles across marshland and environmentally sensitive areas and to transport personnel to perform the work.
• Orchard to Lewis Substation and Transmission Line Upgrades - Completed 41 miles of transmission system upgrades and substation enhancements across five counties and 13 municipalities, improving service to more than half of the company's 560,000 customers from Atlantic to Salem counties.
• Monroe to Tansboro Transmission Line Upgrades - Upgraded more than eight miles of existing electric transmission line in portions of Winslow and Monroe townships which included state-of-the-art steel utility poles, among other upgrades, to improve service for more than 83,000 customers in Camden and Gloucester counties.
  

In 2021, Atlantic City Electric is performing work on several major projects as part of the company's ongoing efforts to enhance reliability and modernize the local energy grid. Some of these projects include:

• Atlantic City/Brigantine Community Reliability Project – Modernizing an existing substation and rebuilding two critical transmission lines between Atlantic City and Brigantine to strengthen the local energy infrastructure against more extreme weather and improve reliability for local customers.
• Atlantic to Ocean Counties Reliability Project – Rebuilding 15 miles of critical transmission line running through Port Republic, Bass River Township and Little Egg Harbor Township to improve reliability for thousands of customers.
• Middle Township to the Wildwoods Reliability Project - Rebuilding 4 miles of critical transmission line between Middle Township and the Wildwoods to strengthen the local energy grid against more extreme weather.
• PowerAhead Grid Resiliency Initiative – Working to complete strategic reliability improvement projects across portions of the company's service area to modernize and enhance energy infrastructure in areas that have experienced outages during severe storms.
  

Atlantic City Electric also continues to share best practices for managing the local energy grid and responding to outages with its Exelon sister companies, BGE in Baltimore, ComEd in Chicago, Delmarva Power in Delaware, PECO in Philadelphia, and Pepco in Washington, D.C.

Readers are encouraged to visit The Source, Atlantic City Electric's online news room. For more information about Atlantic City Electric, visit atlanticcityelectric.com. Follow the company on Facebook at facebook.com/atlanticcityelectric and on Twitter at twitter.com/acelecconnect. Our mobile app is available at atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp.