Power delivery under threat

HURRICANE BERYL highlighted some of the shortfalls in delivery of electricity to the public, especially after the impact of adverse weather systems. In July when Beryl struck there were numerous problems with the timely restoration of power and as a result much speculation. The public is yet to discover what the reality is. There were stories that stated that the main power company, JPSCo, no longer had a maintenance line staff as they had contracted out this aspect to a few local contractors islandwide and that these numbers were inadequate.

Other theories stated that politicians had become involved in the restoration activities and had instructed the power company to work in accordance with their directives, restoring electricity to their constituents first as opposed to abiding by the company’s schedule. Hurricane Beryl struck a severe blow to Jamaica, particularly in the eastern and along the southern parishes.

On November 5, the eye of Tropical Storm Rafael passed close to Jamaica’s south coast, travelling north, then north north-west, and eventually, north-westwards. The outer band impacted eastern and southern parishes, mainly. Both weather features in question had less of an impact on Kingston, for example, than was expected. I am speaking here of my personal experiences. In the case of Beryl I was without power for over 30 hours and the community adjacent to mine never lost power. The outer bands of TS Rafael brought consistent rains which could not be construed as heavy by any means. There was neither lightning nor thunder nor heavy winds, yet I lost power for approximately 10 hours. FALLOFF OF STANDARDS

JPSCo sent out a message, by email, stating that their teams are positioned to restore supply as quickly and safely as possible. The message gives the impression that they will be on top of things once they occur and at the very least that the public will be kept informed of their progress in the restoration of electricity to residents and businesses. The actions on the part of the power supplier showed no differences, a direct hit results in the same experience as a near miss or something of low impact.

We are not kept abreast of developments. I am not highlighting the experience as a complaint, per se, but having experienced several adverse weather events in my lifetime, one can’t help but compare the reactions of the power company. I am not asking that anyone takes unnecessary risks, but I do believe that they can do better. There is a distinct and worrying falloff of standards in the restoration service to which one has become accustomed. It’s accepted that there are difficulties that restoration teams must face but the experience tends to suggest that our main service provider has not kept abreast of increasing population and communities, and the provision of additional capacities to deal effectively and efficiently with their clients demands. Currently, the population should not be inconvenienced as much as it has been and continues to be. I would hate to think that the ugly head of politics continues to be an obstacle in the path of the company providing its services. Maybe it’s time for JPSCo to review its business model and adopt something that requires greater efficiency going forward. Hopefully this might also serve to reduce the cost of electricity to their clients! If it is that contracting out critical aspects of maintenance/restoration activities is the way to go, then these contractors need to be held to a greater level of responsibility and accountability than that which presently obtains. If it’s better to return to in-house capacities and capabilities where the restoration/maintenance needs of clients are concerned, then do so. If there is political interference, the public needs to know.

In the interim, I encourage all Jamaicans to continue investing in a ‘Home Sweet Home’ lamp, it’s a must for all households that do not have the luxury of a generator or affordable solar energy apparatus.

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