Energy Minister Daryl Vaz has called for a comprehensive report from the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) after the utility failed to meet restoration deadlines following Hurricane Beryl. With thousands still without power, particularly in St Elizabeth, Vaz has expressed frustration over the "unacceptable" pace of restoration. He has requested detailed updates on restoration progress and urged for compassionate measures, including potential penalties, for affected customers. The OUR is currently reviewing JPS's response and considering enforcement actions.

Power struggle 

OUR mulls punitive options over missed electricity restoration deadline as JPS blames access issues

Jamaica Gleaner/14 Aug 2024/Kimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter 

THERE IS uncertainty over whether the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) will bring a case against the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) for breaching the OUR Act after the power company failed to meet the deadline for full electricity restoration countrywide.

In a directive from the OUR, which took effect on July 31, JPS was to have ensured the full res- toration of electricity in all parishes by August 12 following the passage of the Category 4 Hurricane Beryl on July 3.

Eleven communities across Kingston and St Andrew, St James, St Ann, and Hanover were listed as exceptions in the 16-page document in which the JPS noted that accessibility and the lack of needed equipment would pose a challenge to restoration efforts.

The company then outlined projected full restoration dates for St Thomas as July 26; Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine and Portland as July 31; St James and St Mary as August 5; and Trelawny, St Elizabeth, Clarendon, Westmoreland, and Hanover as August 12.

But in a news release on Tuesday, the JPS indicated that thousands of customers in St Elizabeth remained without electricity and noted isolated incidents in Westmoreland, Manchester and rural St Andrew.

It said access challenges, including landslides, blocked roads, damaged bridges and dangerous terrain have delayed the restoration process.

The company said that roughly 10,000 of its 692,000 customers are without electricity supply. The majority of those customers are from St Elizabeth.

At the end of July, the southwestern parish stood out as the only one with outages at more than 1,500 customers in the dark. At that time, 14,317 of the 37,796 customers in the parish were still without power.

In an August 12 letter seen by The Gleaner, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz requested a “com- prehensive” report from the OUR that should detail the status of electricity restoration by community and parish across the island.

REQUEST FOR DETAILED ACCOUNT

The minister also asked for a detailed account of the compassionate measures to be imple- mented for customers whose electricity service was not restored by the JPS within the previously communicated timelines.

“Given that JPS has not met these restoration deadlines, the ministry anticipates an extension of service disconnection or penalties for all affected customers,” the letter said.

In a subsequent statement from the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport on Tuesday, Vaz demanded a similar report from JPS.

“My latest correspondence to the JPS was prompted by what I am on record as stating is the totally unacceptable pace of restoration to some customers and the dismal performance in terms of ability to meet agreed timelines,” he said.

Meanwhile, the OUR was scheduled to meet with JPS on Tuesday to review a report from the power company on restoration efforts.

“Following its meeting with JPS and receipt of the status report, the OUR will review the company’s response and outcome of its own surveillance/monitoring activities to determine the next steps,” the OUR said in a statement.

Failure by the JPS to comply with the OUR directive within the time specified could render it liable to enforcement action, pursuant to Section 9 of the OUR Act, the regulatory body said.

This section stipulates that: “Any licensee or specified organisation which fails to comply with the requirements of a memorandum issued by the office under this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction before a resident magistrate to a fine not exceeding $2 million.”

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