State Utility Board Impels PSE&G to Maintain 'Polegate' Work Freeze

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, thrust into the middle of PSE&G’s controversial plan to construct more than six dozen utility poles measuring 65 feet in height on two village streets, has asked the utility company to extend a moratorium on the project.

The BPU confirmed that it had received the Ridgewood Village Council petition, as well as a response from PSE&G, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.

The project, which the utility says is an effort to increase electrical capacity and strengthen substations in Paramus and Fair Lawn, has been a hot button issue in both Ridgewood and Glen Rock.

The moratorium was issued earlier this month as village officials weighed their options for dealing with the project—sometimes locally referred to as "polegate."

In July, some residents along Spring Avenue and Hope Street said PSE&G crossed the line when they hoisted up the 65-foot-tall utility poles, which carry 69,000 volts of electricity.