3rd power outage this summer in Wildwood, New Jersey a frustration for businesses
Morey's Piers lost crowds of customers on a Saturday night, and they want answers from Atlantic City Electric.
WILDWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Another power outage at a Jersey shore town has some business owners and visitors frustrated.
It was just after 7 p.m. on Saturday in Wildwood when the lights went out.
"Everything went out completely," said Carla Neto who is visiting with her kids from Long Branch.
About 3,650 customers were without power because of an issue on Schellenger Avenue.
While many residential customers were back up and running within an hour, larger businesses like Morey's Piers took about two hours.
People had to be taken off of rides.
"Rides that have to be evacuated with power have generator backups and we're able to get folks off of those. And certain rides need to be evacuated manually, and we were prepared to do so, and had everyone off of rides about 15 to 20 mins after the outage began," said Denise Beckson, vice president of Morey's Piers.
While everyone got out safely, Morey's lost crowds of customers on a Saturday night and they want answers from Atlantic City Electric.
"We need to get reassurances that there's a short term fix and a long term solution for reliable and dependable power," said Beckson.
This is the third power outage in Wildwood this summer. The first was widespread when a fire erupted at a substation on July 7th.
The other two outages were smaller, but still disruptive.
The power company says they do not believe the outages are related.
Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron says the growth the city has seen recently could be to blame.
"These last three or four years the construction is something we haven't seen in a long, long time. So you add in the new technology and the new construction and the new accounts - I gotta believe that the system wasn't geared up or at least for it to happen so quickly," said Byron on Monday.
Atlantic City Electric officials say they're doing everything they can, including patrols making the rounds ahead of Labor Day weekend.
"Making sure that all our distribution lines and any associated equipment is ready to go, can handle the load, and trying to see if there's any repairs that need to be made before the big weekend comes for our customers down there," said Candice Womer, Senior Communications Specialist for Atlantic City Electric.
The mayor says after a meeting on Monday, the power company promised to thoroughly examine the infrastructure and he also asked for better communication with the public moving forward.
The exact cause of the outage from over the weekend is still under investigation.
A statement from Atlantic City Electric issued Monday reads:
"The power outage that occurred in Wildwood on August 26 at 7:12 p.m. on Schellenger Avenue impacted about 3,650 customers, the majority of which were restored within an hour and the remaining customers including Morey's Piers and the boardwalk were restored in just over two hours. The outage occurred due to an issue with energy infrastructure causing a downed wire. The exact cause of the issue is to be determined. This outage was not related to the outage that occurred on August 15, which impacted 36 customers, or the incident at the Lake Avenue substation on July 7.
"We are committed to collaborating with all stakeholders and elected officials throughout our service area, including officials in the Wildwoods. We are continue making upgrades to our electric system and investing to strengthen the local energy grid against extreme weather, while also installing new and more modern infrastructure and technology, which enabled our ability to restore the majority of customers faster during the August 26 outage.
"Our personnel proactively patrol and inspect distribution lines and associated energy equipment across the Wildwoods and make repairs as needed. We also perform periodic inspections using infrared technology to identify any potential issues and replace or repair infrastructure as warranted."
