Edison, New Jersey Power Outage Today

How reliable is power in Edison?

PSE&G

PSE&G is an investor-owned utility with 2,534,077 customers. In 2024 its customers averaged 0.57 interruptions and 45 minutes (45 minutes) without power, so the average outage lasted 80 minutes.

Little of that came from major storms (about 13%). Without major event days the average is still 39 minutes, so the figure mostly reflects everyday faults: failed equipment, tree limbs, animals and vehicles hitting poles.

Outages are infrequent, fewer than one per customer a year, and each was fixed in 80 minutes on average.

For comparison, New Jersey as a whole averaged 174 minutes and the United States 614 minutes. That puts PSE&G below the state average, which is better.

Among the 4 utilities in New Jersey with at least 5,000 customers that report to the federal government, PSE&G ranks 1st for the fewest outage minutes (1 is best). Nationally, 85% of the 926 utilities of that size reported more outage minutes in 2024.

JCP&L

JCP&L is an investor-owned utility with 1,147,443 customers. In 2024 its customers averaged 2.46 interruptions and 481 minutes (about 8 hours) without power, so the average outage lasted about 3.3 hours.

Major event days, the severe-weather days that utilities report separately, made up about 47% of that time. Without them the average is 255 minutes, so weather matters here but ordinary equipment faults and tree contact account for most of the total.

The typical outage was repaired in about 3.3 hours.

For comparison, New Jersey as a whole averaged 174 minutes and the United States 614 minutes. That puts JCP&L above the state average.

Among the 4 utilities in New Jersey with at least 5,000 customers that report to the federal government, JCP&L ranks 4th for the fewest outage minutes (1 is best). Nationally, 23% of the 926 utilities of that size reported more outage minutes in 2024.

These are the figures the utility itself reported to the US Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-861, 2024) and describe the whole service territory, not one street. Your own address can be better or worse.

Storm season and outages in Edison

NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists 304 storm reports for Middlesex County from 2015 through 2026, most often thunderstorm wind (153), flash flood (80), hail (29), and heavy rain (24). The busiest full year was 2020 with 52 reports and the quietest was 2022 with 4, so the risk changes a lot from one year to the next.

Reports peak in July (132 since 2015), followed by August and June. October is outside those three months, so an outage now is less likely to be weather-related.

NOAA’s own narratives name power outages in 28 storm episodes in Middlesex County since 2015, most often in February. That count is a floor, since the database records outages only when a spotter or agency mentions them.

What the most common storm types in Edison do to the grid:

• Thunderstorm wind. Straight-line wind pushes trees and limbs into distribution lines. These outages are usually local, a street or a neighborhood at a time, and crews clear them circuit by circuit.
• Flash flood. Floodwater reaches ground-level transformers, meters and low-lying substations. Utilities may shut power off ahead of the water on purpose, and wading near flooded equipment can electrocute.
• Heavy rain. Saturated ground topples shallow-rooted trees onto lines, and standing water slows crews trying to reach the damage.

Storm reports that name Edison

Within Middlesex County, 23 NOAA storm reports since 2015 name Edison as their location or in their description: thunderstorm wind (15), flash flood (5), heavy rain (1), and flood (1). That is about 8% of the county’s reports, so most of the county’s weather history happened elsewhere. Reports naming Edison are most common in July. The busiest full year was 2020 with 5.

Who a power outage hits hardest in Edison

83.2% of occupied homes in Edison are heated with piped natural gas, and 11.7% with electricity (US 41.3% electric). A gas furnace still needs electricity for its blower and ignition, so a long winter outage leaves these homes cold too, though a gas supply stays on when the grid fails. Never heat a home with an oven, grill or camp stove indoors.

Residents aged 65 or older are 15.9% of the population in Edison, close to the US share of 17.2% and 8.2% report a disability (US 13.3%). These are the households most likely to depend on powered medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines and refrigerated medicine. If someone in your home does, ask PSE&G whether it keeps a priority or medical-needs list, and register before the next storm rather than during it.

About the housing: 43.2% of the housing in Edison was built before 1970 (US 35.5%).

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (housing, heating fuel, age and disability tables).

Backup power and electricity use in Edison

The average PSE&G home used about 566 kWh a month in 2024 (US average 892 kWh), an average draw of 0.8 kW around the clock, and paid about 20.4 cents per kWh (19.1 in the state, 15.8 nationally), roughly $115 a month.

Keeping only the essentials on (a refrigerator, router, a few lights and phone chargers, about 400 watts) through an outage that lasts the average 80 minutes takes less than 1 kWh. A portable power station or a power bank covers that; a generator is more than most households here need for a typical outage.

A generator must never run indoors, in a garage or near a window; generator and food-safety rules are in the power outage guide linked below.

If the power is out in Edison

About 105,826 people live in Edison, the 6th largest of the 10 New Jersey cities on this site. Report the outage to the utility so a ticket exists for your address, then check PSE&G’s outage map for an estimate. If neighbors have power and you do not, report it again: the fault may be on the line to your house alone, which is a separate repair.

Edison power outage map

PSE&G’s outage map has the official restoration estimate for your address; the count above comes from residents. Food and generator safety: power outage guide.

Edison power outage questions