JPS restores power to nearly 80% of customers

 

More than a month after Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica, destroying several Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) sites, the utility company is reporting that electricity has been restored to nearly 80% of its customer base. 

 

In an email to customers on the weekend, JPS says it has been making progress in its restoration exercise with the help of work crews from overseas. 

 

JPS Corporate Communications Director Winsome Callum said electricity has been restored to 79% of its customers, 97% of major hospitals and 76% of National Water Commission water pumps. 

 

"This is significant because when the Category 5 Hurricane Melissa passed through the island on October 28, it left 77% of our customers without electricity. So we have managed to turn things around. Now just over a month after the hurricane has passed, 79% of our customers have electricity," Ms. Callum revealed. 

 

She cautioned that it will take some time for some customers to receive electricity as the damage to the infrastructure in their communities was extensive. 

 

The utility company says as a result of the damage, it has been forced to redesign and rebuild the entire section of its network in these communities. 

 

"There are some parishes where the going is slower than we would like, and that's because of the extent of the damage. These parishes are over in the west. In the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, St. James and St. Elizabeth, we're seeing catastrophic damage to the energy infrastructure. Entire sections of these lines will have to be rebuilt. So it will take some time to get electricity to everyone. It will take some time," she admitted.

 

"But what we can say to our customers is that we are not going to stop until every single customer has electricity. We're standing with you, we understand the inconvenience and we will not stop working. Our guys are working 24/7," Ms. Callum stressed.  

 

Last week Energy Minister Daryl Vaz warned that electricity will not return to some communities until February next year.