Originally published on PSEG NewsRoom
ORANGE, NJ / ACCESS Newswire / October 14, 2025 / In a celebration that brought together art, infrastructure, and community spirit, PSEG and City of Orange officials cut the ribbon Thursday on a striking new mural at the Orange Heights Switching Station, in Orange, New Jersey, fusing reliability and critical electrical infrastructure with neighborhood identity.
Located at the intersection of South Jefferson Street and Forest Street in a redevelopment and arts zone, PSEG worked closely with municipal leaders, surrounding residents, and members of the local Valley Arts District to ensure the electric reliability project supported both energy infrastructure needs and community revitalization goals.
"This station is a testament to what happens when collaboration meets imagination, with an active and engaging process around enhancing our energy infrastructure in the neighborhoods where we work and live," said PSEG Senior Vice President for Corporate Citizenship Rick Thigpen. "It's a powerful example of how public-private partnerships can elevate not just our infrastructure but also lift the community."
In service since 2024, the new Orange Heights Street Station replaced the aging Orange Valley Substation just across the street. That former site, with equipment reaching the end of its lifecycle, was prone to flooding during severe weather events - including Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene - endangering critical equipment and leaving nearly 9,000 homes and businesses at risk of outages.
FEMA flood maps and historical data confirmed the urgent need for change. The upgraded facility not only meets today's reliability standards but is also engineered to withstand future climate challenges, support long-term energy demand and improve system reliability.
Critical Infrastructure with a Creative Touch
Committed to reflecting the character and creativity of the neighborhood, PSE&G worked closely with city leaders, residents, and the Valley Arts District to shape a design that belongs in - and to - the community.
As part of its community approach, PSE&G partnered with curator Layqa Nuna Yawar, who worked alongside the City of Orange Arts Committee to solicit mural designs from local artists and organized a student art competition. Public workshops invited neighbors to help guide the vision. The result: a perimeter wall styled like a city block, complete with windows, doors, and thoughtful details like lighting, signage, and a new seating area and sidewalk - all designed to harmonize with the local streetscape.
The project's centerpiece, a sweeping mural created by artist Tom Nussbaum, is a vivid abstraction inspired by patterns found in global textiles and the intricate web of electrical distribution systems.
"The mural imagery serves as a metaphor for the connections found in the electrical grid, and the connections our community has to the world around it," Nussbaum said.
Orange Township Mayor Dwayne D. Warren said: "This project is a public example that constructing utility institutions does not have to be a detriment to a community's quality of life," said Warren. "It also shows that corporate neighbors like PSE&G respond best when the cooperative voices and talents of the community are loud and vibrant."
###
About PSE&G
Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is New Jersey's oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, as well as one of the nation's largest utilities. PSE&G has won the ReliabilityOne® Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region for 23 consecutive years. For the third consecutive year, PSE&G is the recipient of the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in the Energy Efficiency Program Delivery category. In addition, in 2024 J.D. Power named PSE&G number one in customer satisfaction with residential electric service and gas service in the east among large utilities. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a predominantly regulated infrastructure company focused on a clean energy future and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 17 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from PSEG on 3blmedia.com.
Contact Info:
Spokesperson: PSEG
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/public-service-enterprise-group-pseg
Email: info@3blmedia.com
SOURCE: PSEG
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/utilities/art-meets-infrastructure-pseandg-and-city-officials-celebrate-new-electrifying-mural-at-o-1086696
