Time to address NJ’s aging power grid (Opinion)

In a few short weeks, I’ll mark my fifth year as your morning drive host. One thing that stands out over that time is how many times we’ve had a conversation about generators and the fact that your power is out.

It’s so common in the Garden State that it seems we could do a power outage special every week. I want to applaud the hard work and tireless effort of all the employees of the power companies who do their very best to get your lights back on after a storm. But it’s time to raise the question among the political elites in Trenton. What the hell have you been doing since Superstorm Sandy to address NJ’s aging power infrastructure? They don’t need to answer, we know that the answer is NOTHING.

We do get a lot of hot air about green power initiatives, which are less efficient and extremely costly for taxpayers. We hear the pandering to radical environmentalists about offshore wind. What we don’t hear about is any comprehensive fix to the fact that millions of New Jerseyans are left without power seemingly every time we have a major storm. Seems that with all the billions wasted in Trenton funding borrowing for special interest projects we could find a few bucks to maintain our vital power grid.

My thoughts on how? First, cut the one billion dollar subsidy to Rutgers. Then monetize the assets of NJ Transit. And that would just be the beginning…

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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