SUMMER 2020 – It’s been two years since NJBPU denied JCP&L its MCRP power line project. So all’s good right? NOT entirely. In the last two years we’ve had Isaias. Quinn. Riley.

How many chances will it take for JCP&L and their parent company First Energy to do right and fix its poorly maintained distribution system that plagues 99 percent of the power outages in its service territory, affecting 1.1 million New Jersey customers?

RAGE (Residents Against Giant Electric) and its offshoot CHARGE (Citizens Help Affect Regulation of Gas & Electric) have petitioned the NJ Board of Public Utilities, Governor Phil Murphy and state legislators to revoke the company’s monopoly franchise, which guarantees a return on equity, regardless of its poor performance. In fact, the groups respectfully request decision makers invite other power providers to submit a proposal for the business of keeping the power on. This petition requests the change be made immediately: http://bit.ly/RAGE-CHARGEPetition

“It’s no secret that JCP&L’s performance is regarded as abysmal by any measure – antiquated systems, poor storm preparedness, inconsistent or limited communications and lagging response time – all well-documented in the media at public hearings and voiced by mayors across many communities,” notes Kin Gee, CHARGE President. “More than ever people need power for everything from medical equipment to work connections during this pandemic, not to mention education for students. Even with up to one billion dollars in rate increases over a decade, the public hasn’t seen a return on their investment so the public must demand regulators find someone who will do better.”

But, Where Did the Rate Increase Money Go? JCP&L claims it invested a billion dollars in improving and maintaining its distribution lines, yet a rate case settled in 2015 suggests that after making some initial repairs, the extra money awarded in rate increases went to dividends at its parent company, FirstEnergy Corporation in Ohio.

What’s the Alternative to a Monopoly Franchise? Parallel to the shareholder-driven power company, many people, including thousands in Sussex and Warren counties, receive their distributed power through a cooperative. The electric cooperatives shared ownership model, was established in the USA following World War II to provide efficient power at reasonable rates throughout rural America. Today, electric cooperatives – owned by the customers – power communities reliably, sustainably, and affordably. Indeed, Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative is one of 900 electric cooperatives in the USA, serving 56% of the landmass in 47 states Here is more information about how cooperatives work: https://www.electric.coop/electric-cooperative-fact-sheet/.

If JCP&L won’t change to address its commitment to the public, RAGE and CHARGE demand regulators explore alternatives and put the public back into public utilities. Sign the petition for change: http://bit.ly/RAGE-CHARGEPetition.

Ding, dong, the project’s dead!

The appeals window has closed, so the BPU’s decision to deny the MCRP is FINAL!!!

3/8/18 – JUDGE GAIL COOKSON SIDES WITH RAGE IN HER INITIAL DECISION! Calls out JCP&L for being disingenuous, setting up strawmen, not evaluating alternatives, and coercing studies.

We are not done yet — the BPU has final say — but this is huge. Great job RAGERS!

READ FULL DECISION HERE 👉👉👉Judge Cookson Initial Decision 2018_03_08

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March 2019 Update Email just sent to RAGE email list. Contents:

1. Waiting on JCPL's next move

2. CHARGE consumer group

3. Suspicious utility activity re: program for the needy

4. New local threat -- human cremation incinerator proposed in Middletown; currently on Planning Board agenda for 3/20/19



CLICK HERE TO READ: mailchi.mp/rage2016/march-2019-update-for-the-ragers ... See MoreSee Less Photo 🦃THANKSGIVING DO NOW!🦃 SEND THANK YOUS TO JUDGE COOKSON AND PETER DICKSON!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, RAGERS! We have a lot to be thankful for this year -- our families, our friends, our communities, each other -- but as it relates to the MCRP and its wonderful big fat denial, there are no two people that deserve our thanks more than these two: Judge Gail Cookson and our Attorney Peter Dickson. If not for them, we might be seeing power lines going up right now instead of holiday decorations.



PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME THIS WEEK TO SEND THEM A THANK YOU. You can send a paper card OR fill out the online form and I will print and mail the messages to them. Get your kids to send them. Get your neighbors to send them. These two wonderful people deserve to know just how much they are appreciated, and by how many. They saved us, and for me, validated that even when the odds are against you, it's still worth fighting for what you believe in. There are still many good guys out there, and these are two of the best of them.



TO SEND A THANK YOU NOTE TO JUDGE COOKSON:

goo.gl/forms/ZFru8WxW61qAXaHy1



TO SEND A THANK YOU NOTE TO PETER DICKSON:

goo.gl/forms/Lx7nP2ZhxSvM2pBu1



Forms will stay up until MONDAY 11/26. Please Like and Share this so we reach all the RAGERS in their feeds!



Last but not least, THANK YOU ALL for everything you did to fight and WIN this fight. It was an amazing show of what a strong community can accomplish when it works together... a lesson I know I'll never forget.



Enjoy your Thanksgivings and REMEMBER RAGE! 💪✊🙏



📨Judge Gail Cookson

NJ Office of Administrative Law

33 Washington St.

Newark, NJ 07102



📨Peter Dickson

Potter and Dickson

194 Nassau St.

Princeton, NJ 08542 ... See MoreSee Less Photo IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION. Recently an email went out to multiple Middletown residents from a group called "Residents Against Overdevelopment." The email content itself was political and encouraged people to vote against a specific Township Committee candidate. We have received several questions about this email, asking if we were behind it. The answer is absolutely NO.



This was NOT an email from RAGE, despite the similarities in name.



1 - We would never send a politically charged email. As an organization we have remained nonpartisan and have never been in the business of backing candidates or opposing candidates. We were in the business of fighting the MCRP, and knew that was not a partisan issue. We very gratefully accepted support and help from everywhere we could get it -- including from the candidate who was negatively targeted in the email, as well as existing members of the Middletown TC, as well as additional candidates currently running for the Middletown TC. RAGE went beyond party lines, and that is one of the biggest reasons we were able to pull off what we did. This one really took a village. We would never speak ill of anybody who has supported RAGE, candidate or not, and are beyond thankful for everybody's involvement in the cause.



2 - We also have never and will never share or sell our RAGE email list, to anybody. Rest assured.



Please know that we take our reputation and the personal information you entrusted to us very seriously. We would never jeopardize either. Thanks for taking the time to read this. ... See MoreSee Less

4/13/17 – UPDATE – Read about the 7 days of Evidentiary Hearings at the OAL in Newark, April 4-12. All updates are posted HERE.

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4/1/17 UPDATE — Video of all speakers from the Public Hearing on Wednesday 3/29 has been posted to the RAGE YouTube Channel (in 5 parts)

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3/28/17 IMPORTANT UPDATE — VIDEO BASED ON JCP&L’S OWN 2014 ENGINEERING FILE, WHICH WE WE ACQUIRED FROM NJ TRANSIT THROUGH AN OPRA REQUEST

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3/24/17 IMPORTANT UPDATE — WE GOT JCP&L MAPS DATED FEB. 2015 WITH EXACT POLE LOCATIONS. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

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HOW FAR IS YOUR PROPERTY FROM THE PROPOSED POWER LINE ROUTE?

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