Paulwell sends warning to JPS about its future under PNP gov't

 

Opposition Spokesman on Energy Phillip Paulwell has issued a bold declaration on the future of the Jamaica Public Service Company's operations in the country.

 

Lamenting the damage to the company's infrastructure following Hurricane Beryl, Mr. Paulwell said the light and power company must improve its operations if it intends to continue as the sole distributor under a People's National Party government. 

 

"This (Jamaica Labour Party) government knows that the licence that the JPSCo comes to an end in 2.5 years' time. But they don't business, because they should be using the time now to plan ahead, to start to negotiate with JPSCo because it cannot be business as usual," Mr. Paulwell argued at a party conference in Central St. Mary on Sunday evening. 

 

"The regulation that now exists is not working because the JPSCo must be made to maintain their infrastructure better. There was not enough preparation for the hurricane, too many trees were surrounding the lines, and the people in St. Elizabeth are suffering. That cannot happen under our watch. We are far more caring of our people and the JPSCo will have to reform itself if it's going to maintain a licence after 2027," he warned. 

 

 

In the meantime, General Secretary of the Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE), John Levy, has declared that JPS customers will continue to pay high light bills due to the cost to the company to produce electricity.

 

According to Mr. Levy, who is a former JPS employee, the current business model for producing electricity is not sustainable.

 

"Until we can get electricity down in the teens US cents... $0.15, $0.16, then we can have a conversation about production and the cost of production. But we cannot compete with countries who are at $0.10. We are at US$0.42, US$0.43 per kilowatt hour, and that is a big part of the problem that nobody wants to address," he argued. 

 

Consumers, he suggested, were mislead to believe the liquified natural gas (LNG) arrangement in Old Harbour would have resulted in cheaper electricity rates. 

 

"Maybe if you were still running B6 and number four and number two and number three at Old Harbour, the electricity rates maybe would have been lower. We have not done a good job at controlling our cost of electricity and...JPS continues to only be able to retain $0.28 out of the dollar to cover all their expenses," he lamented.