Gaslighting Holmdel: The Truth About the Big Ugly Utility Poles
- Kin Gee
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
OPINION
Most Holmdel residents have seen the giant utility poles that now dominate parts of our town, marring some of our most picturesque streets, and, for many homeowners, impacting property values.
At the June 9, 2026 Township Committee meeting, Mayor Rocco Impreveduto, facing growing public frustration, tried to deflect responsibility by essentially starting a rumor that grassroots group Residents Against Giant Electric (“RAGE”) approved the current project being built.
Mayor Impreveduto further alleged the TC informed the township several times through multiple meetings regarding the poles, and claimed the Township lacked authority over the project.
We have some questions:
1. When and where were the informational meetings where residents were informed that these oversized poles were coming before installation began?
2. Why did the TC recently issue a press release saying they stand with residents opposing these poles, when a JCP&L spokesperson recently told News12 that the company has been working on this project since 2023 and has coordinated with the Township every step of the way?
3. Why is Mayor Impreveduto trying to set up a false dilemma that only two options exist: the giant, dangerous high-power transmission line fought by RAGE (see more below), which included five towns and thousands of people, or the poles we see in Holmdel today?
4. When did a volunteer grassroots organization like RAGE obtain the authority to approve a JCP&L project that the Township itself supposedly lacked?
False Narrative
In his attempt to shift blame to RAGE, Impreveduto cited an April 13, 2017 Facebook post by Rachael Kanapka as proof that RAGE supported the project.
Anyone who actually reads the post will see otherwise.
The post summarized a day in the court proceeding and outlined RAGE's proposed alternative: upgrading a limited number of out-of-date wires on existing poles and installing two truck-sized voltage-regulating devices (called STATCOMs). Utility companies’ projects are borne by ratepayers. RAGE’s alternative would have cost ratepayers only about 30% of the intrusive 2016 transmission project.
For those interested, the original post can be found here:
In a June 10, 2026 email to the Township Committee, Kanapka explained that after the court and the BPU denied JCP&L’s high-power transmission project in 2018, the utility company chose not to implement RAGE’s lower-cost alternative and instead explored several more expensive options. JCP&L ultimately selected an option, on its own accord and without any input or discussion with RAGE. According to a 2019 JCP&L presentation made to PJM, the regional grid operator, it appeared that JCP&L proposed to construct new wire circuits on EXISTING poles. See the attached picture.
However, JCP&L appears to have changed its 2019 plan since today’s project now involves bigger, taller, ugly poles, including some that are metal, and is not using the existing wooden poles.
After correcting the record, Kanapka asked Mayor Impreveduto to publicly clear her and RAGE's name. To date, no response has been issued.
Residents continue to feel blindsided. As Holmdel resident Kristin Celauro put it, these poles are "like nothing we have ever seen before."
Holmdel resident Peter Maneri summarized residents’ disappointment when he said, “The town dropped the ball. We've been dropping too many balls the last few years.”
Holmdel residents deserve facts, transparency, and accountability—not efforts to rewrite history or to start a rumor to deflect responsibility.
Kin Gee
Mr. Gee is a Holmdel resident who was RAGE’s Holmdel coordinator and later served as Co-President, along with Rachael Kanapka.
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RAGE - Residents Against Giant Electric - is a grassroots group that successfully opposed a 2016 proposed 10-mile high-power transmission line from Aberdeen to Red Bank due to concerns about the health consequences of EMF exposure, the impact on the aesthetics and environment of the affected communities, and property devaluation.
The 2016 proposed project was for a redundant third transmission line – the area has a main transmission line and a backup. The main transmission line and the backup line have failed only twice over the 10+-year period before the proposed project, resulting in a loss of power to customers of less than 10 hours.
RAGE has 4,000 Facebook members and over 5,000 signatures for its petition opposing the project.
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